The Bully Text’ utilizes SMS to educate young people
on how to step up to bullying in their community
DoSomething.org and The Wireless Foundation announce the
launch of The Bully Text, a unique mobile experience that allows young people
to walk through a day at a virtual high school to explore the ways that they
can step up to bullies in common bullying situations. With an estimated 160,000
kids skipping school each day to avoid being bullied[1], DoSomething.org developed The Bully Text to
educate students on how to stop bullying in their schools.
The
Bully Text is a text messaging game set during an imaginary first day of
school. In the game, participants experience different bullying situations and are
given options on how they can react. Depending on how the participant reacts in
the different situations, they walk down different paths that each offer unique
endings. The SMS education experience is meant to emulate common bullying
situations, show different ways to react and offer an example of the impact of
their actions.
For the second year of The Bully Text,
DoSomething.org found a natural partner in The Wireless Foundation and their
mission: bringing organizations, people, and technology together so wireless
innovations will continue to enhances lives in communities across the United
States. Last year over 68,000 young
people took part in the campaign, and 89% of participants reported having a
better idea of how to stop bullying in their school after playing the game. This
year, young people who participate will be entered to win a $3,000 scholarship.
The Bully Text is part of
DoSomething.org’s proprietary mobile gaming model – through which they built
their mobile subscriber list to over 1.3 young people. With the average teen
sending 3,339 texts a month and texts having a 99% open rate; SMS is a powerful tool to effectively engage young
people on issues they care about.
“We all remember that moment,
that feeling. You see something you don’t quite agree with in school, something
you know is wrong. But do you act? It’s hard for young people to know how to
deal with those situations first hand” said Greg Thomas, campaign manager at
DoSomething.org. “Through The Bully Text, we’re providing young people with a
chance to understand what it’s like to experience bullying through different roles,
and reflect on how they can change their behavior to help them step up to
bullying in their school.”
For full campaign details, visit www.dosomething.org/bullytext
or text BULLY to 38383.
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