3 minute read
Kids Who Shine
KIDS WHO SHINE EMMA LEMBKE, 18
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BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE
Spending five hours a day on social media, constantly scrolling the feed to make sure she didn’t miss a new post took a toll on Emma Lembke’s mental health. Unfortunately, what this senior at The Altamont School experienced isn’t unique, especially for teenagers.
“I had a horrific self-image of myself and a compulsive need to stay on that kept me on there,” she says. “I started thinking, ‘How do I use this tool without letting it use me?’”
Lembke realized her usage of social media was triggering her OCD and anxiety disorders, so she began looking for answers about why these apps had so much control over her — and her generation.
“We can’t rewind back to a time where social media doesn’t exist,” she says. “We have to learn how to use it in a healthy manner.”
When she couldn’t find a space for kids to come together to discuss social media and find ways to lower its impact on their mental health, she decided to create one — and the idea for Log Off was born.
She originally pursued the idea of Log Off for her school Miree project, which is meant to combine the student’s interests and a way to serve a need in the community. However, Lembke soon recognized her project extended well beyond the city of Birmingham. After launching the program in June 2020, she received its first application from Texas and the second came from the Philippines.
“It blew my mind,” she said. “Now, it’s blossomed into this community of 60 teens from 16 countries.”
The Log Off movement is dedicated to rethinking social media by teens for teens. Whether teens decide to use or take a break from social media, the goal is for them to find a way to exist on social media in a healthy way. Log Off offers a website, podcast, blog, character education curriculum, and an online community to raise awareness and share findings on navigating these apps.
Senior Emma Lembke created Log Off to help herself and other teens navigate social media in a healthy manner.
Lembke would love to see the movement hold a joint digital conference with digital wellness companies in the future, as well as become more involved with advocacy and legislative efforts to protect children online.
No matter how this movement grows next, Lembke is proud of the change and progress Log Off has made so far.
“It was just me in my kitchen with an idea in ninth grade,” she says. “Now, it’s grown into this movement where teens can feel impowered to use their voices. It’s been a whirlwind.”
For more information about Log Off, visit Logoffmovement.org.
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