Conversation Moves the Nation
Editor’s Note: I recently sat down with a group of college students who shared their commitment to raising awareness about the range of everyday mental health challenges affecting themselves and their peers. What I found was a remarkable sense of care and concern for each other and a commitment to find solutions that can make for a better world for all.
With a focused sense of purpose and incredible hearts, a mental health awareness initiative that started with a small group of students at Auburn University, and that has now spread to Bowling Green State University, North Carolina State University, and Harvard University, is bringing together young people from across the country to push forward a social activist movement that is designed to get people off their phones and social media, even if for just a few minutes, and start having face-to-face conversations again.
Data shows that social media has adversely affected people’s ability to have face-to-face conversations. On average, Americans spend more than 1,300 hours (~4 hours per day) on social media. Daily screen time for teens now totals 8 hours 39 minutes. Alarmingly, 11% of people prefer staying home on social media than going out. And there is a growing body of research about the negative effects of social media such as increasing depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. In fact, a recent cross-sectional study of over 270,000 people found that strains on friendship were a predictor of chronic illness. And the trends are not good. Today, only 25% of Americans have six or more close friends, whereas in 1990 that figure was 44%.
As they envision the world they want to live in and lead, they believe that as a society, we are better when we understand what someone else’s life is like, what they think and why they think the way they do, what their experiences are, and what they think needs to be done to make this a better world. They say that the hustle of life often leaves them disconnected, both from one another and from the essence of compassion. They believe they need to talk more so that they can listen, learn, and add to their collective of knowledge. They want the countries’ leaders, politicians, and other role models to stop shouting at each other and to instead come together, believe in each other, illuminate our humanity, and to support the possibility in all of us by simply starting a conversation. As these young people say, “Conversation moves the nation” yet for whatever reason they see just the opposite every day. They see it in its worst extreme in the political arena where their representatives don’t talk to each other. Instead, they simply shout at and disagree with whatever position the other side takes on any and every issue.
Their movement seeks civility in conversation, not argument or confrontation. And as they note, the only reason to talk is so that they can listen, learn, and add to their collective of knowledge. They know that everyone has a story to tell and that everyone’s story matters.
The mission behind their new lifestyle brand, called Start a Conversation, is to believe in each other, to understand differences, and to reveal common bonds. Their brand is being built on the belief that people need to start talking again, and that belief is being activated through an initiative which encourages fellow students and students across the country to disconnect from social media, for however long as it takes for them to stop and say “hello” to their classmates.
The students involved in this endeavor are young people who believe in the power of meaningful conversations. They’re not just a clothing brand; they’re a movement aimed at bridging the gap in mental health awareness and fostering genuine connections through the simple act of starting a conversation. Their journey began with a profound realization – that in the age of technology, their daily interactions have become more digital and less personal, leading to a growing mental health gap and a lack of understanding among each other.
They say they see it every day, they look at students walking across campus with ear buds in, listening to music with their heads down staring at their phone. They look around at a restaurant and maybe even at their own dinner table, and what they see is people with their cell phones out and looking at it while they eat. They note that people avoid eye contact, stare at the floor, and mumble greetings. They see this as a major problem! They can literally see and feel how social media is killing their friendships. They know that face-to-face relationships are suffering.
One of their primary concerns is that social media, not conversation, is now shaping their views on politics, race, religion, who’s right, and who is wrong. And this is a problem as data indicates that sixty-one percent of people get political news from social media. People they don’t even know, and who certainly don’t know them, tell them what to think. And they know that is a problem. They know it’s time for a change. They have decided that it’s up to their generation to start talking again, and to engage in meaningful conversation. And they believe that can be achieved with a simple “hello.”
Their initial product offerings are a hat, a beanie cap, a hoodie, and a crewneck, with the word “hello” on it along with some special “drops” that serve as conversation starters. The premise behind such a simple word mark is this…How can someone not say hello back when wearing these items? And when they do say Hello, those wearing the product can say, “Hello to you too! My name is… What’s your name? How’s your day going?” And then, just affirm the action by saying “Thank you for saying hello and please find any way you can to keep connecting with your fellow human beings, because if you do, we can make a difference in this world.”
Research shows that making a habit of saying hello changes your disposition; it opens your eyes, mind, and heart to those around you. Receiving a hello – especially an unexpected one – immediately disarms the mental and emotional barriers people erect to protect themselves in what many perceive to be a cold, competitive, and dangerous world.
It should also be noted that many student-athletes are also joining the movement and that’s important because student-athletes are highly visible, and they have a pulpit to get important messages out. Like many young people, student-athletes are victims of speech, opinion, and performance related pressures that affect their mental health. They struggle with depression, anxiety, eating disorders but oftentimes do not seek help.
That’s sometimes the case with athletes in general. They don’t talk about weakness of any kind, mental or physical, for fear of losing playing time. But that must change. And through their willingness to talk about their struggles, they believe that they can be a role model for all young people to talk about their challenges and to show vulnerability as well.
And this is important, as the rate of reported cases of mental illness such as anxiety and depression among students in general is continuing to grow. And that is likely to be one of the contributing factors to the escalating number of suicide attempts and completed suicides among students globally. Because of this, young people are finally starting to understand the importance of talking openly about mental health. And thus, the reason and the timeliness for the initiatives that are driving this social movement.
Behavioral research demonstrates that little things make a big difference when it comes to social interaction. Data indicates, for example, that smiling is contagious. Saying hello has similar effects. Yet all too often, we don’t do it.
These young people think it’s time for all of us to say hello to more people, more often. And they are calling on young people across the country and around the world to join the movement.
For everyone who feels isolated, alone, or different, there’s ten more out there who invariably feel the same way. Hello is a conversation starter. Their movement is based on the belief that the simple act of saying hello will start a conversation that may end up saving a life. And that life may even be their own. They believe that conversation makes life interesting. They say, “You never know who you will influence by a simple greeting. You never know what kind of conversations, connections or relationships will come from a smile, a nod, or a hello. Their mantra is, “It’s time to disconnect so that we can reconnect. It’s time to start talking again.”
To sign up to be on the email list for notifications regarding pre-orders of product merchandise, and special drops, or to learn more about the movement, please visit the Start a Conversation website HERE. Limited supplies at launch are expected, so get on the waitlist now!
To be sure, fashion has always been a symbol of self-expression. Fashion carries stories, beliefs, and emotions. Through the Start a Conversation brand, they’re adding another layer of purpose. When someone wears their product offerings, they’re sending out an invitation for others to approach them, to share stories, thoughts, and ideas. It’s a small yet impactful way to combat the isolation that modern life can sometimes bring.
These college students believe that when young people wear their fashion offerings, they will create a ripple effect that transcends the individual exchange. They will be sowing seeds of understanding, empathy, and connection that can grow and spread throughout communities. Conversation will uplift spirits, alleviate loneliness, and remind us of the power of genuine human interaction.
They’re not trying to point a finger at anyone, but they understand that they may not be able to change how the politicians of today behave or how an older generation may have been raised, but they, as young people are at an inflection point in their lives.
They say they can either accept the status quo or make a commitment to each other to engage in conversation as a matter of how they live their daily lives such than when it’s their time to run the country, run companies, etc.… that conversation will be an engrained behavior. They will have grown up seeing the firsthand benefits. They will engage in conversation because that’s what their generation has always done.
They’re asking young people to join them in this movement by saying hello to more people more often and then engaging in conversation so that they can listen and learn. They believe that if young people can come together, and engage in dialogue, that they will have the power to change the world.
To learn more about the Start a Conversation Movement, reach out to Malcolm Johnson, Jr. at startaconversation23@gmail.com.
Resources: We understand how difficult times can get. Please know there are resources available to you:
National Mental Health Hotline : 866-903-3787
Emergency Hotline: 988