SMW was started by one girl who believes she can effect positive change for herself and others around her.  Freshmen year can be stressful and chaotic, and I went through a lot. I experienced cyberbullying, ghosting over the internet, being excluded online, and many more hardships. Even though what I went through felt miserable, it shaped my character, making me a  better friend, a better daughter...a better person. After some incredibly stressful friendship dilemmas that were worsened by inappropriate use of social media platforms, I realized that I might not be the only one having struggles in this way. The decision to start SMW came from the desire to spearhead a movement to make the social media world a healthier and safer environment for young people, especially those already struggling like me. My experiences throughout the pandemic, particularly during the shutdown, of being ghosted by an entire group after an argument with one friend, led to a deeply emotional loss. It was an incredibly challenging, depressing, and lonely time. Being alone during quarantine, social media became the only social connection available. While social media proved itself to be positive in specific ways, the negative aspects had a noticeable effect on my mental health and how I viewed myself and the world. I have seen firsthand the ups and downs of social media and understand that social media is here to stay. We have an opportunity to come together and create a supportive movement that will have an exponentially beneficial influence on young people starting with one text and one post at a time. ​Thank you in advance for joining me in making healthy social media choices!