The Dove Self-Esteem Project today (April 12) launched the Campaign for Kids Online Safety to address the rise in youth mental health issues linked to social media. As part of the campaign, the Dove initiative is teaming with musician Lizzo, Common Sense Media and ParentsTogether Action to push for the 2023 Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) which supports standards, safeguards and tools that protect kids’ online experiences and limit their exposure to toxic beauty content.
Philosophy
To boost its latest purpose-driven efforts to make social media a more positive environment, Dove released “Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film", a three-minute film that tells the true story of a young woman, Mary, who developed an eating disorder while being exposed to toxic beauty content on social media. Set to a version of “You Are So Beautiful,” the heartstring-tugging video suggests that Mary didn’t survive the ordeal before revealing that she is currently in recovery from the eating disorder. The video concludes with several real-life survivors of mental health issues and their parents.
Problem
The Campaign for Kids Online Safety is informed by new Dove research that demonstrates the toll social media has on youth mental health, with eight in 10 specialists saying social media is fueling a mental health crisis. Not only do 80% of young people believe people their age are addicted to social media, but more than half say it makes them and their peers feel anxious.