这位23岁的姑娘希望减弱社交媒体对精神健康造成的危害
During her senior year of college, Larissa "Larz" May started #HalfTheStory, a social media platform where people are invited to post a rawer, unedited version of their experiences. To date, individuals from more than 99 countries have contributed. Here, the 23-year-old opens up about the epiphany that inspired #HalfTheStory, and why telling your whole story can be so liberating. What moved you to launch #HalfTheStory? #HalfTheStory encourages you to show a piece of yourself in your social media story. In two words, it's life unfiltered. I started it when I was at Vanderbilt University, and trying to make a foray into the fashion world. I was writing a blog, and going to New York to cover Fashion Week, as well as for client meetings for my social media consulting business. But I realized that while the world saw me one way, I was feeling a completely different way behind the screen. Mental health has always been something I've struggled with, specifically anxiety, and depression in college. And I was starting to lose myself in my social media presence. I was utterly overwhelmed by it. With #HalfTheStory, I hoped to create a safe place for people to connect in a more authentic way. How did you get the concept off the ground? The idea was really born out of my college dorm room. I built the idea and worked with a friend to build the logo. Vanderbilt granted me an $800 grant, which allowed me to purchase stickers and other marketing materials. I began by speaking to small groups of students at Vanderbilt to share the platform. After opening up about my darkest moments, I felt like this weight had been lifted off me. I no longer had to live up to a standard of perfection. And I started connecting with people on a much deeper level. Have there been any stories that took you by surprise? One of the most moving posts I've read was by a student at Vanderbilt. She approached me back in the early days, and used #HalfTheStory as a platform to reveal her sexual orientation. |