Bluelight-online forum for those with substance abuse / addiction

 Blog Theme 3

How do social workers reach young people in social media? How can social professional/ educator

reach the young target group?

They can efficiently reach young target groups by adopting various ways that are youth friendly,

interactive, and engaging. The idea is to promote the cause through activities which young people may

resonate positively/ connect instantly with. The awareness created like this will be sustainable having

long-lasting impact. Utilize popular social media and digital platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

which enjoy huge fan following and worldwide reach. Keep content short that is easily absorbed by the

users. Use infographics, include live Q & A sessions, real-life simulations, gamification & storytelling to

make the whole experience more engaging & relatable. They should keep themselves abreast with

youth interest, issues, their values, language, lifestyles to impart more real touch to the campaign they

are promoting. They should rope in public figure who youth admire and follow for making the cause

more powerful and authentic. They should promote open discussions both online and offline where they

are not being judged or bullied, the purpose is to make youth feel comfortable and to help them express

their thoughts freely and come forward with their issues., share their experiences. To make the

movement more effective, they should allow young people to lead the movement though youth driven

campaign to have deeper and wider influence on peer group.

Example of Social media influencer in India: Kusha Kapila

She is a digital content creator and influencer. She is known for addressing one of the key social issues

associated with young population which is body positivity besides advocating other mental health issues

and gender equality. She actively participates in activities advocating self-acceptance which many

youths now-a-days struggle with. Since she herself experienced body shaming first-hand and has been

trolled & bullied because of her overweight, she relates with the subject more powerfully and advocates

for body positivity by promoting self-acceptance by candidly discussing her personal experiences to

foster genuine connections. She addresses body shaming and put focus on self-love encouraging her

audience to embrace their bodies. She develops comic sketches and uses humor that echo with

everyone and daily situations which makes her content more relatable and engaging. She also engages

in various panel discussions on sensitive mental health issues to create sufficient awareness around the

topic which motivates others to come forward and seek help to tackle their challenges.

What would you do if the goal would be to decrease bullying? What kind of platform would you use?

I would use multi-prong approach to address the issue of bullying and to decrease it. It would be a right

mix of digital media, awareness building through campaigns, discussions, challenges and poster making

competitions, educating youth about what bullying is and how it may impact both mental and physical

health of young generation along with facts & figures depicting and showcasing the real picture around bullying across the world. I would take support of social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube,

Instagram for sharing short videos, informative content, advice from experts & educators, real-life

stories of celebrities, influencers. I would also create safe spaces by forming communities of like-minded people where they can share their experiences, feedback with their peers. Through this they will get to interact different people who have been exposed to bullying, how they have confronted it and sought help to come out of it and eventually learn from each other’s life and experiences. I would collaborate with local authorities to target the issue wherein a 24*7 helpline can be created to ensure direct and quick support. I would partner with local school, colleges, institutions to setup support groups for reaching the vulnerable population of youth where bullying is very common. I would engage with local theatre groups to do road shows, street plays sensitizing people and creating theatre groups to do road shows, creating ample awareness and sensitivity around this issue.