It’s tough enough being a teen without having to navigate a global pandemic. That’s why the non-profit Be Strong and LG Electronics USA have partnered to help teens spread happiness in Westchester County and across America.
In a normal year, Be Strong empowers kids to prevent bullying, isolation, and suicide. This year, the global organization has added “experience happiness” to the list.
We could all use a little of that, couldn’t we?
Life’s Good: Experience Happiness
Throughout 2020, the folks at Be Strong recognized that students were struggling in their leadership roles and with their schoolwork due to lack of access to technology. They asked LG for 10 laptops to distribute to students. Guess what? LG donated 100 LG gram laptops instead!
It’s all part of the Life’s Good: Experience Happiness initiative, which supports student-led, social-emotional wellness efforts.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, many youth are experiencing social isolation, anxiety, uncertainty, and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 40 percent of Americans struggle with mental health or substance abuse related to Covid-19.
In other words, most of us feel the psychological toll. It has affected teenagers disproportionately hard, however. School closures and social distancing has cut teens off from avenues of psychological support. This places them at higher risk of developing anxiety and depression, according to Stanford University.
The LG/Be Strong partnership will allow student leaders like those in Westchester County to stay connected while giving them the technology to share critical resources with their peers during these unusual times.
Give Happiness
One really cool resource is the Give Happiness Checklist. It highlights six sustainable happiness skills.
Organizers then encourage kids to focus on one of these skills each week. Download the checklist here:
Backed by 75 years of scientific research, LG’s Life’s Good: Experience Happiness program worked with experts in education, social-emotional learning, and the science of happiness to identify these skills. The goal is to increase each person’s capacity to face life’s challenges.
The website and social media sites brim with videos and other helpful ideas.
Downloadable Happiness Gift Card
Many people don’t have much to give this holiday season, but the gift of happiness is free. So, why not share a downloadable Happiness Gift Card in holiday cards, as stocking stuffers and throughout the community? It’s a simple way to create smiles and invite friends and family to join in the happiness journey.
I’ll bet everyone knows a child or teen (or 20) who would benefit from practicing and spreading around a little happiness. I know I do.
Handy Resources
- Website
- Facebook: Be Strong Global and LG USA
- Twitter: Be Strong Global and LG USA
- Instagram: Be Strong Global and LG USA
- YouTube
