On Friday, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation announced a partnership with Zynga, according to VentureBeat. The foundation and app company aim to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day using Words with Friends 2. A special Word of the Day, “stay,” will be highlighted and link users to in-game mental health resources provided by the Born This Way Foundation. World Mental Health Day is today, October 10, and the resources can also be accessed at PleaseStay.us.
What to expect —
Users of the social gaming app will be able to access mental health resources within the app. In this time of isolation, Words with Friends 2 has been a great way for many to stay engaged with their loved ones in a fun way. This campaign joins Zynga’s other awareness campaign for October — breast cancer awareness.
Increasingly, online platforms are offering resources for those dealing with physical and mental health issues as well as trying to curb problems where possible. Instagram has been on an anti-bullying rampage while other social media companies like Snapchat and Reddit have also built mental health resources for their users. Given social media’s detrimental effects on mental health, these moves have largely felt like spitting on a fire rather than enacting demonstrable reform at the source.
A good cause —
Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta co-founded the Born This Way Foundation in 2012 to help young people manage their mental health and wellness. The award-winning pop star has been vocal about her own struggles with mental health over the years. The Please Stay site was created in collaboration with Find Your Anchor, an organization geared more specifically towards suicide prevention. On Friday, the organizations led a live panel with artist Breedlove and Partnerships for Purpose as part of their World Health Day awareness campaign.
