Local teen, Sarah “Jay” Bynum a Palos Verdes High School freshman, has started the nonprofit organization, Social Media Wellness, to help educate young teens on the healthy ways to participate in social media.
Jay saw a problem and decided that it was time to come up with a solution. According to Jay, “While social media can be a fun and creative space, the dark sides are evident and really feared by parents. Healthy, “doable” solutions for teens are never really discussed.”
“Honestly, many teens, including myself, are dealing with damaging effects of unhealthy social media use and still continue with unhealthy habits.
Social Media Wellness is an organization for teens and their parents to come together and foster healthy social media user habits by promoting learning and awareness. It’s necessary to facilitate activity that creates a safer and more welcoming space in the social media world.
“I don’t have it all figured out and I have been making mistakes like a lot of teens but I see a need and I’m trying to fill it. Social Media Wellness is a start.” Rather than focusing on all the things not to do, and ways to limit use of social media, SMW focuses on ways to use it in a healthy, encouraging, and edifying way for ones self and others.
SMW is holding its first kickoff event on May 21, 2022, for teens and parents. There is a lineup of speakers both students and professionals including:
Amanda Horgan- 209 Miss Woman United States of America founder of Fit with A Purpose
Laura Kay McLauchlin, MS, LMFT- Addiction Specialist
Corry Matthews- Certified nutrition and fitness expert and Founder of NPC MM Virginia Classic
Genesis Rodriguez- PVHS Class of ’25
and
Jay Bynum- Founder of SMW Social Media Wellness, PVHS Class of ’25
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