Thankfully, there are many efforts by many different groups who make it their mission to end cyberbullying. Efforts range from online school activities to rallies to commercials. Specifically, ABC Family and Seventeen Magazine have joined forces in order to combat cyberbullying through their “Delete Digital Drama Campaign.” This campaign is brand new, having been started July 5, 2011. As of late their efforts include a rally in Glendale California, the creation of WebPages, a commercial, a facebook group, and a movie all addressing cyberbullying and its negative effects. Through the facebook group, people can get a digital drama badge to add to their facebook page. A recent ABC Family original movie-featuring actress Emily Osment followed the story of a teen girl who was harassed via her facebook page and demonstrates how it negatively impacted her life. In addition, ABC has aired a commercial depicting many young stars from its network speaking against cyberbullying. They are all seen wearing [delete] T-shirts (pictured above), representing their message to “delete digital drama.” This movie, coupled with the recent commercial, was viewed by many teens and preteens.

I think the efforts provided by this partnership will prove to be very effective. The slogan that they use in their campaign is easy to remember and spikes curiosity and interest. ABC and Seventeen were smart to use the media as a way to reach the masses and raise awareness. I also think that it was a very smart move to use so many different sources, like television, the Internet, and public speaking to get their message across to as many people as possible. The use of celebrities in both the movie and the commercial was a very effective move on their part, as the influence of famous people over their teenage fans’ mindsets is great. They certainly are aware of who their target audience is. The youth that they are targeting also happen to be a large portion of their fan base, making them an ideal network to raise awareness of cyberbullying. While the campaign is magnificent at raising awareness, it fails to touch upon the educational aspect of eliminating cyberbullying. I would provide more information through speeches, commercials, and websites about how to identify cyberbullying and what to do if it happens to you or if you witness it.