JED and ghg | greyhealth Launch Elf-Troll Analysis to Help Raise Awareness of Cyberbullying

New York, Dec. 19, 2017 -- The Jed Foundation (JED) and ghg | greyhealth group have joined forces to launch an online holiday experience, Elf-Troll Analysis (ETA), which leverages cognitive technology to evaluate social media posts and determine how often people express either positive or negative sentiments.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 41% of American adults have been the victims of cyberbullying (also known as "trolling").  As a result of this growing problem, the ETA project was developed to increase awareness of the impact verbal expression has in the digital realm, and to encourage people to use more positive messaging online. The Elf-Troll Analysis allows users to scan their own social media posts and receive an “ETA,” which reveals if their online demeanor has been “elf-y” (positive) or “troll-y” (negative).*

“Cyberbullying can contribute to significant mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even thoughts of suicide,” says John MacPhee, Executive Director and CEO of JED. “This year, we’re asking people to help make the holidays especially cheerful by participating in the Elf-Troll Analysis project – a fun way to assess whether your recent online messaging has been more positive or negative, and supporting JED’s mission to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults.”

“This is just one example of how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing mental health care,” says Erin Byrne, CEO of ghg. “We’re proud to partner with JED to help people become more thoughtful about what they say online, since it can affect people in very real ways.”

To get your own ETA, visit elfortroll.org, and help us spread the word on social media using the hashtag #whatsyourETA.

* The Elf-Troll Analysis is intended as an entertaining way of raising awareness about users’ online behavior, rather than as a scientific or diagnostic tool. A high “troll” score does not mean to suggest you are engaging in bullying or other objectionable online behavior. This program is only meant to make you more aware of your online emotional tone.

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About JED:

JED is a nonprofit foundation that exists to protect emotional health, and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.

Learn more at jedfoundation.org. Check out our programs including: JED Campus (jedcampus.org), Set to Go (settogo.org), ULifeline (ulifeline.org), Half of Us (halfofus.com) and Love is Louder (loveislouder.com). 

Connect with JED: Email | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

About ghg | greyhealth group:

ghg | greyhealth group is a global healthcare communications company capable of driving every aspect of healthcare communications. Headquartered in New York, with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, ghg works with leading companies to build world-class healthcare and pharmaceutical brands among medical professionals and consumers, with a unique storytelling approach that covers print, digital, and television-broadcast media, medical education, sales-force presentations and managed-access strategies. ghg is a wholly-owned member of WPP Health and Wellness (www.wpphealth.com), a leading sub-holding company created to mobilize and focus WPP’s (NASDAQ: WPPGY) vast resources for the benefit of clients across the full spectrum of health.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c23dd1ee-5e0b-46af-ad48-2fb1af636e6c

Nancy Intrator
greyhealth group
[email protected]

Andrea Morgan
Makovsky for JED
917-213-5506
[email protected]