TikTokDiplo & Secular Sabbath with Rhye - Looking For Me(ntal Health Awareness) LIVE stream to empower conversations and raise funds for The JED Foundation on Saturday, October 10 at 5pm PST
Mental Health Awareness Day helps raise awareness and remove the stigma around mental health. It's an opportunity to think about our own emotional wellbeing and also support others who might be struggling. We're inspired to see our TikTok community share their creativity, thoughts, and personal expression – including their mental health. From stories, to hashtags of support and kind comments, TikTok is a community that cares for each other.
This year, we're excited to partner with Diplo for a 1 hour meditative music experience with Secular Sabbath, Rhye, and other surprises. This exclusive experience will raise funds for The JED Foundation – an organization that empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. During the LIVE stream, viewers can show their support by tapping on the LIVE room banner to submit a donation without having to leave the app. Donations are powered by Tiltify, a charitable fundraising platform, which processes donation transactions through their platform.
"Mental health is something we don't speak enough about, but it's something we all need to get better at," said Diplo. "This year is hard. We're more isolated than ever, due to social distancing. If you are struggling or have a friend or family member who is, you may not know how to begin a conversation - but there are great resources to help you make a difference."
We recognize that having conversations about mental health, or asking for help, can be really hard for some. So we've partnered with several leading mental health advocacy organizations to help bring their message to TikTok as a way to foster ongoing conversations around emotional wellbeing. Those partners include: The JED Foundation, The Trevor Project, Providence Health and Seize the Awkward to share tips, resources and conversation starters.
The Seize the Awkward movement provides conversation starters and tips to help you help those who may be struggling with their mental health. "In times of uncertainty, like during this extended Covid-19 period, connecting with friends and family can really help in managing feelings of fear and anxiety, and be good for your health. You don't need to be there, to be there for a friend," said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council.
The Jed Foundation (JED) protects the emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. Their JED Voices and Storytellers series showcase how anyone can be affected by mental health issues — including some of your favorite Olympians, actors and musicians. "We know one of the best ways to help people is through their friends and family, and this is why we provide resources to teach young people to help themselves and their loved ones. We are excited to launch our TikTok account and will continue to share tips to the community," said Erica Riba, Director, Higher Education & Student Engagement at JED.
Providence Health's Work2BeWell program provides free curriculum, resources, and implementation tools to make an impact as a student mental health advocate, educator, or parent. "One of our greatest assets as a community is each other — that's why we're so excited to work with TikTok's amazing creators including Hana Giraldo, Notorious Cree, Kyle Massey, Adam Waheed and many others to share wellbeing tips,' said Mary Renouf, Associate Vice President Social and Influencer Strategy. Learning about the tactics to reset and hearing from each other can help break the stigma and begin the dialog."
The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Their research shows that acceptance can save lives, and that supportive environments — including some found on online platforms like TikTok — can be valuable to LGBTQ youth. The organization educates people on how to prevent suicide in their lives by using C.A.R.E., a simple tool to respond to the possible warning signs for suicide that you might notice in someone else. "Affirming LGBTQ young people and their identities can positively impact their mental health and help prevent suicide. You can use C.A.R.E. in your daily lives to help prevent suicide, and remember that The Trevor Project will always be here to support LGBTQ youth in crisis, 24/7," said Shane Michael Singh, Corporate Development Manager at The Trevor Project.
Social distancing may continue to keep us physically apart but it doesn't mean we are alone. We invite everyone to continue sharing your stories to help fight the stigma, educate our community, and advocate for each other by using the hashtag #MentalHealthMatters. Don't forget to tune in to catch Diplo and Secular Sabbath as we continue to raise awareness and make a difference together. To learn more about our wellbeing and suicide prevention resources, visit our Safety Center.
