it’s 2017 and people are now more connected than our grandparents or
connected than our grandparents or
connected than our grandparents or great-grandparents could have ever
great-grandparents could have ever
great-grandparents could have ever imagined I could take out my phone right
imagined I could take out my phone right
imagined I could take out my phone right now and with one click my network could
now and with one click my network could
now and with one click my network could see how amazing this crowd looks live
see how amazing this crowd looks live
see how amazing this crowd looks live via Facebook or Instagram it’s like
via Facebook or Instagram it’s like
via Facebook or Instagram it’s like we’re never alone in an instant we can
we’re never alone in an instant we can
we’re never alone in an instant we can snapchat our meals
snapchat our meals
snapchat our meals hashtag worst burger ever and our peers
hashtag worst burger ever and our peers
hashtag worst burger ever and our peers can dissect our dinner choices or help
can dissect our dinner choices or help
can dissect our dinner choices or help us find the perfect outfit all from the
us find the perfect outfit all from the
us find the perfect outfit all from the comfort of their bedroom we can
comfort of their bedroom we can
comfort of their bedroom we can effortlessly let our friends know what’s
effortlessly let our friends know what’s
effortlessly let our friends know what’s happening in our lives all we have to do
happening in our lives all we have to do
happening in our lives all we have to do is say Siri send text to ayianna what’s
is say Siri send text to ayianna what’s
is say Siri send text to ayianna what’s up question mark I am giving a TEDx
up question mark I am giving a TEDx
up question mark I am giving a TEDx women can’t talk right now and I so wish
women can’t talk right now and I so wish
women can’t talk right now and I so wish you were here gone are the days of
you were here gone are the days of
you were here gone are the days of rotary phones or pay phones are phones
rotary phones or pay phones are phones
rotary phones or pay phones are phones with those inexplicably long cords
with those inexplicably long cords
with those inexplicably long cords they’ll let you talk and move around a
they’ll let you talk and move around a
they’ll let you talk and move around a bit gone are the days of slow internet
bit gone are the days of slow internet
bit gone are the days of slow internet speeds
speeds
speeds and waiting for dial-up connection we’re
and waiting for dial-up connection we’re
and waiting for dial-up connection we’re now hyper connected and hyper aware but
now hyper connected and hyper aware but
now hyper connected and hyper aware but are we really connected with each other
are we really connected with each other
are we really connected with each other we talk about everything online when we
we talk about everything online when we
we talk about everything online when we wake up what we ate when we’re sad when
wake up what we ate when we’re sad when
wake up what we ate when we’re sad when we’re happy and so on and young people’s
we’re happy and so on and young people’s
we’re happy and so on and young people’s lives are more of an open book than ever
lives are more of an open book than ever
lives are more of an open book than ever before happy it took a tragedy for me to
before happy it took a tragedy for me to
before happy it took a tragedy for me to realize but our hyper-connectivity was
realize but our hyper-connectivity was
realize but our hyper-connectivity was lacking in some important ways on the
lacking in some important ways on the
lacking in some important ways on the first day of the new year at around 1 or
first day of the new year at around 1 or
first day of the new year at around 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning like any other
2 o’clock in the morning like any other
2 o’clock in the morning like any other teenager up at at ungodly hour
teenager up at at ungodly hour
teenager up at at ungodly hour I was scrolling through my friends
I was scrolling through my friends
I was scrolling through my friends stories on snapchat
but this time was different I started to
but this time was different I started to see post saying our IP and a boy’s name
see post saying our IP and a boy’s name
see post saying our IP and a boy’s name for my school I rewatched their stories
for my school I rewatched their stories
for my school I rewatched their stories at least ten times and then I texted my
at least ten times and then I texted my
at least ten times and then I texted my best friend to see what was happening a
best friend to see what was happening a
best friend to see what was happening a minute later I got a call from my friend
minute later I got a call from my friend
minute later I got a call from my friend her voice was barely audible to me but I
her voice was barely audible to me but I
her voice was barely audible to me but I was able to make out two words he’s gone
was able to make out two words he’s gone
was able to make out two words he’s gone and that’s when it hit me one of my
and that’s when it hit me one of my
and that’s when it hit me one of my classmates had just died he was a
classmates had just died he was a
classmates had just died he was a freshman at my school and he lived in
freshman at my school and he lived in
freshman at my school and he lived in the development behind my house rode the
the development behind my house rode the
the development behind my house rode the bus together in middle school and he
bus together in middle school and he
bus together in middle school and he always made the bus rides more
always made the bus rides more
always made the bus rides more entertaining after I got off the phone
entertaining after I got off the phone
entertaining after I got off the phone with my friend I went onto Twitter to
with my friend I went onto Twitter to
with my friend I went onto Twitter to see what was happening there everyone
see what was happening there everyone
see what was happening there everyone was posting pictures of him and offering
was posting pictures of him and offering
was posting pictures of him and offering help to those who needed it telling
help to those who needed it telling
help to those who needed it telling people it’s not necessary to take your
people it’s not necessary to take your
people it’s not necessary to take your own life
own life
own life that’s when I realized he committed
that’s when I realized he committed
that’s when I realized he committed suicide when I returned to school after
suicide when I returned to school after
suicide when I returned to school after the incident administration didn’t draw
the incident administration didn’t draw
the incident administration didn’t draw much attention to the fact that we had
much attention to the fact that we had
much attention to the fact that we had just lost a student the hallways
just lost a student the hallways
just lost a student the hallways required as if no one was in school and
required as if no one was in school and
required as if no one was in school and the teachers gave out assignments
the teachers gave out assignments
the teachers gave out assignments without any real due dates or intentions
without any real due dates or intentions
without any real due dates or intentions of being completed and the school
of being completed and the school
of being completed and the school brought in counselors for the week for
brought in counselors for the week for
brought in counselors for the week for those who wanted to talk even though
those who wanted to talk even though
those who wanted to talk even though school continued many students wander
school continued many students wander
school continued many students wander the halls without any true destination
the halls without any true destination
the halls without any true destination just not wanting to be confined into a
just not wanting to be confined into a
just not wanting to be confined into a classroom the adults were there for us
classroom the adults were there for us
classroom the adults were there for us to talk to but many students felt like
to talk to but many students felt like
to talk to but many students felt like they couldn’t talk to some teachers
they couldn’t talk to some teachers
they couldn’t talk to some teachers without being judged or worse back in my
without being judged or worse back in my
without being judged or worse back in my day stories that meant to conceive our
day stories that meant to conceive our
day stories that meant to conceive our generation as too soft needy or entitled
generation as too soft needy or entitled
generation as too soft needy or entitled but when it rains it pours for days
but when it rains it pours for days
but when it rains it pours for days after this tragic loss of life I got a
after this tragic loss of life I got a
after this tragic loss of life I got a text from my other friend telling me I
text from my other friend telling me I
text from my other friend telling me I needed to go check Twitter for her
needed to go check Twitter for her
needed to go check Twitter for her because she thought someone else in our
because she thought someone else in our
because she thought someone else in our school had just died a quick scan of
school had just died a quick scan of
school had just died a quick scan of Twitter confirmed
Twitter confirmed
Twitter confirmed another one of our classmates had just
another one of our classmates had just
another one of our classmates had just died just like that just like that in
died just like that just like that in
died just like that just like that in one week we lost two students due to
one week we lost two students due to
one week we lost two students due to suicide suicide is the second leading
suicide suicide is the second leading
suicide suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults ages
cause of death among young adults ages
cause of death among young adults ages 10 to 24 it is the third leading cause
10 to 24 it is the third leading cause
10 to 24 it is the third leading cause of death among college-age youth and
of death among college-age youth and
of death among college-age youth and young adults ages 12 to 18 more young
young adults ages 12 to 18 more young
young adults ages 12 to 18 more young adults die from suicide than cancer
adults die from suicide than cancer
adults die from suicide than cancer birth defects a stroke influenza and
birth defects a stroke influenza and
birth defects a stroke influenza and chronic lung disease combined there are
chronic lung disease combined there are
chronic lung disease combined there are many reasons why students feel the need
many reasons why students feel the need
many reasons why students feel the need to commit suicide but among teens one of
to commit suicide but among teens one of
to commit suicide but among teens one of the main reasons is a feeling of
the main reasons is a feeling of
the main reasons is a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness but bullying
hopelessness and loneliness but bullying
hopelessness and loneliness but bullying is also also a main reason 33 percent of
is also also a main reason 33 percent of
is also also a main reason 33 percent of teens are bullied in the last year 1
teens are bullied in the last year 1
teens are bullied in the last year 1 million children were reported to have
million children were reported to have
million children were reported to have been threatened harassed or subjected to
been threatened harassed or subjected to
been threatened harassed or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook
other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook
other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook alone under assault of harassment and
alone under assault of harassment and
alone under assault of harassment and ridicule some people feel isolated from
ridicule some people feel isolated from
ridicule some people feel isolated from friends and overwhelmed with depression
friends and overwhelmed with depression
friends and overwhelmed with depression but how is it possible that in a time we
but how is it possible that in a time we
but how is it possible that in a time we where we share everything and are so
where we share everything and are so
where we share everything and are so connected the some could feel so alone
connected the some could feel so alone
connected the some could feel so alone with all of our technological
with all of our technological
with all of our technological advancements how is it possible that we
advancements how is it possible that we
advancements how is it possible that we cannot detect the silent suffering of
cannot detect the silent suffering of
cannot detect the silent suffering of our friends and family some say
our friends and family some say
our friends and family some say technology and social media are part of
technology and social media are part of
technology and social media are part of the problem for many of my peers social
the problem for many of my peers social
the problem for many of my peers social media is used to discover the latest
media is used to discover the latest
media is used to discover the latest drama with the Kardashians or to roast
drama with the Kardashians or to roast
drama with the Kardashians or to roast each other for how we look or how we
each other for how we look or how we
each other for how we look or how we dress some use it to create facades or
dress some use it to create facades or
dress some use it to create facades or superficial relationships that gloss
superficial relationships that gloss
superficial relationships that gloss over the real
over the real
over the real is happening in people’s lives but I
is happening in people’s lives but I
is happening in people’s lives but I want to throw out the social media with
want to throw out the social media with
want to throw out the social media with the social mischief many people forget
the social mischief many people forget
the social mischief many people forget that social media was created in order
that social media was created in order
that social media was created in order to connect people with similar interests
to connect people with similar interests
to connect people with similar interests or to just make communication easier I
or to just make communication easier I
or to just make communication easier I say we get back to the basics and learn
say we get back to the basics and learn
say we get back to the basics and learn how to use technology in order to deepen
how to use technology in order to deepen
how to use technology in order to deepen bonds detect issues and provide care for
bonds detect issues and provide care for
bonds detect issues and provide care for those who need it after the suicides my
those who need it after the suicides my
those who need it after the suicides my student body turned towards social media
student body turned towards social media
student body turned towards social media in order to express their sorrows and
in order to express their sorrows and
in order to express their sorrows and lend an ear and shoulder to those who
lend an ear and shoulder to those who
lend an ear and shoulder to those who needed it at the moment
needed it at the moment
needed it at the moment Twitter helped to bring my peers closer
Twitter helped to bring my peers closer
Twitter helped to bring my peers closer together to provide a safe platform
together to provide a safe platform
together to provide a safe platform where everyone could vent on or seek
where everyone could vent on or seek
where everyone could vent on or seek help we were able to utilize it to
help we were able to utilize it to
help we were able to utilize it to uplift each other in a way that was new
uplift each other in a way that was new
uplift each other in a way that was new to many of us but there’s so much more
to many of us but there’s so much more
to many of us but there’s so much more we could do as a society we could create
we could do as a society we could create
we could do as a society we could create helpline numbers that young adults
helpline numbers that young adults
helpline numbers that young adults context in order to get the counselling
context in order to get the counselling
context in order to get the counselling that they need to deal with issues that
that they need to deal with issues that
that they need to deal with issues that they are experiencing instead of posting
they are experiencing instead of posting
they are experiencing instead of posting the latest meme or moon tweet we could
the latest meme or moon tweet we could
the latest meme or moon tweet we could commit to posting the type of advice
commit to posting the type of advice
commit to posting the type of advice inspiration and humor to make someone
inspiration and humor to make someone
inspiration and humor to make someone feel that life is worth living we could
feel that life is worth living we could
feel that life is worth living we could use technology to remind us to be human
use technology to remind us to be human
use technology to remind us to be human and heartfelt we could use it to remind
and heartfelt we could use it to remind
and heartfelt we could use it to remind us to check in with friends and family
us to check in with friends and family
us to check in with friends and family or to alert us about someone’s birthday
or to alert us about someone’s birthday
or to alert us about someone’s birthday not right HPD on someone’s wall but to
not right HPD on someone’s wall but to
not right HPD on someone’s wall but to give them an actual call or write them
give them an actual call or write them
give them an actual call or write them an actual note for their special day now
an actual note for their special day now
an actual note for their special day now I am willing to Fargo a few self-serving
I am willing to Fargo a few self-serving
I am willing to Fargo a few self-serving snaps or petty tweets in order to create
snaps or petty tweets in order to create
snaps or petty tweets in order to create an environment where my peers feel they
an environment where my peers feel they
an environment where my peers feel they could co5
could co5
could co5 it is a minor sacrifice to make someone
it is a minor sacrifice to make someone
it is a minor sacrifice to make someone feel loved and worth the world the
feel loved and worth the world the
feel loved and worth the world the stakes can be higher than we think
stakes can be higher than we think
stakes can be higher than we think so let’s commit into developing real
so let’s commit into developing real
so let’s commit into developing real relationships and detecting real issues
relationships and detecting real issues
relationships and detecting real issues thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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