It’s that time of year. Summer reading projects are wrapped up (hopefully) and your favorite spot to shop is filled with back to school supplies. One lesson we all hope our nation’s future learned this summer is to stand up to bullying.
Going into a new classroom can be terrifying. Not to mention feeling like an outsider or gaining a harder workload. Bullying is the last thing a student should have to worry about. Thanks to The Ad Council, a teen bullying campaign was created: “I Am A Witness.”
The signature emoji is known as The Witness. It allows whoever to say no to bullying by calling out those being mean or rude with the purple eye. Users also have the option to express kindness and support for someone who is being bullied by posting the emoji on social media or through a text message.
YouTube’s top influencers joined together to help take a stand by creating a bullying prevention video. They read the hurtful comments used toward them and commit to taking action with the eye emoji.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uQW-V-TdBQg
To participate in the I Am Witness campaign, one would download the free keyboard. It is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. After downloading, the user will find more than the one emoji. There are also GIFs and stickers to help stand against bullying.
Who would have thought the emojis could go from fun to changing the world? According to The Ad Council, “more than one in four children a year experience bullying” of some shape or form.
Whether it’s your child, niece, nephew or friend, now is the time to educate them on how to take action with the eye. There is a vast amount of power in words. The ones we choose could stop bullying rather than continue it. Set the standard and educate the ones you love. Back to school shouldn’t mean back to being bullied. Will you download the I Am A Witness keyboard?
