Kids Help Phone begins Feelings To Text campaign
By Rob Bale
Kids Help Phone has begun an initiative called “Feelings To Text” intended to address the issue of self-harm among youth. Developed in collaboration with McCann Canada, the effort makes use of a website at <http://www.feelingstotext.ca> and a series of online videos depicting first-hand recollections of experiences with self-harm. Viewers are encouraged to choose from interactive subtitles to generate a personalizes text message that can be sent to crisis responders at the organization.
“‘Feelings to Text’ works because it reaches young people exactly where they are, in the very spaces they're least likely to find support,” said Rebecca Stutley, executive vice-president of communications at Kids Help Phone. “This was driven by the insight that in many cases, young people are thinking about and engaging in self-harm on their own rather than talking about it. Kids Help Phone wants to reach young people in their worlds and connect them with stories of hope and help to put their feelings into words, including the ones they are most likely to hide.”