Popular video messaging app, Snapchat has partnered with Vodafone to help raise awareness of teen cyberbullying during the UK’s Anti-Bullying Week 2015. In support of the campaign, Snapchat has created a series of Europe-wide Geofilters – special artistic overlays for ‘Snaps’ that can be accessed from select locations – to encourage ‘Snapchatters’ to take a stand against bullying by sharing Snaps featuring Vodafone’s #BeStrong emojis.
Vodafone Foundation will donate £1 per retweet or like of the #BeStrong emojis on Twitter or Facebook to anti-bullying charities during the period.
According to Snapchat, the #BeStrong emojis were created in response to results of a global cyberbullying survey among 5,000 teens, which found among others that one in five teens were cyberbullied, with a fifth of those bullied feeling suicidal while almost half of respondents not being able to support their bullied friends effectively.
Andrew Dunnett, Foundation Director, Vodafone Foundation Director
Our research showed many teenagers find it difficult to help their friends when cyberbullying is happening, and the #BeStrong campaign has been created to help them convey emotional support.
Micah Schaffer, Director, Public Policy, Snapchat
We’re proud to leverage our Geofilters product to help spread the BeStrong message with ‘Snapchatters’ across Europe. We hope that sharing this message can help ‘Snapchatters’ take a stand against bullying on our platform and beyond.
