Real Talk
Natalie Hampton is a 16-year-old girl from Sherman Oaks, California, who was the target of bullies back when she was in 7th grade. Every day, she had to sit by herself at lunch. The experience was so upsetting that she decided to do something about it, so no more kids would ever have to go through the same public rejection.
via Carolyn Hampton
She created an app called ‘Sit With Us’, which helps lonely kids find other kids at school to sit and eat lunch within the cafeteria.
via Gene Blevins
How does it work?
Well, it’s actually pretty simple. Kids who have the app create ‘open lunch invites’, which let other kids, using the app nearby, know they are looking for someone to sit with at lunch. And voilà, new lunch buddies are created!
via Carolyn Hampton
“This way it’s very private. It’s through the phone. No one else has to know,” Natalie told NPR. “And you know that you’re not going to be rejected once you get to the table.”
via Carolyn Hampton
Natalie launched the app in September and says she’s already getting a positive response from it. Her act against bullying may have a larger impact than she even knows. According to a study conducted by Princeton, Rutgers and Yale University, when the “cool kids” are asked to take a stand against bullying, the result is astonishing. During the study, several schools in New Jersey were given tools to stand up against bullying, and it resulted in a 30% reduction in student conflict reports, that year.
