#HalfTheStory and Unplug Collaborative Announce Third Annual Global Day of Unplugging on August 6

No More Lonely Friends, Maybelline New York, Wild Things World and Pinterest Join Youth-Led Nonprofit to Encourage Communities to Unplug Their Devices and Plug Back into Life

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- #HalfTheStory, a digital wellness non-profit, is mobilizing communities around the world to participate in the third annual Global Day of Unplugging on August 6, 2022 in partnership with Unplug Collaborative. #HalfTheStory is a 501c3 non-profit on a mission to rebuild the next generation's relationship with technology and has been at the forefront of the global digital wellness movement since 2015. This year's Global Day of Unplugging is focused on engaging communities through local pop-up events across the globe and discussing ways to develop better tech habits.

Global Day of Unplugging invites the international community to participate in total digital transformation for 24 hours, shifting our cultural mindset from digital distraction into mindful connection and our digital wellbeing from awareness into action. Participants are encouraged to take the pledge, set petitions for local policy change, and engage in screen-free activities that spark community and connection.

"We are all on a digital wellness spectrum and at #HalfTheStory, we are committed to building a world where digital wellbeing is a fundamental human right through education, community engagement, and foundational policy change," said #HalfTheStory founder and Gen-Z mental health advocate Larissa May. "For us, Global Day of Unplugging is a day to pause from our screens, ask the hard questions about our consumption, and build a new path forward personally and collectively."

In celebration of the day, #HalfTheStory is partnering with Maybelline New York, youth-led meet-up group No More Lonely Friends and Wild Things World to host an unplugged afternoon in New York City's Central Park. The organizations hope to encourage reflection on social media and technology reliance across the globe and discuss tangible steps to take action at the local level. The event will take place from 12-4 p.m. on August 6 with similar events taking place across the globe in France, England, Lithuania, Netherlands, South Korea and Slovenia.

#HalftheStory and Unplug Collaborative utilize Global Day of Unplugging to provide the resources, education and inspiration to drive meaningful change and foster digital wellbeing for the next generation. #HalfTheStory's partnership with Maybelline New York also includes the brand's Brave Together program that focuses on making one on one mental health support available to all as a global initiative to support everyone experiencing anxiety and depression. Pinterest, who prioritizes mental health and emotional wellbeing as part of its mission of bringing people inspiration to create a life they love, will be promoting unplugged activities and #HalfTheStory content on its platform in honor of Global Day of Unplugging.

For more information on Global Day of Unplugging, to take the pledge or host your own unplugged event, visit www.globaldayofunplugging.com and follow along at @globaldayofunplugging.

#HalfTheStory is a next-generation non-profit that is empowering youth with tools to bridge the gap between technology and emotional wellbeing. Founded by speaker and mental health advocate Larissa May after her own battle with social media addiction in college, #HalfTheStory encourages young people to share their authentic, unfiltered stories and to use social media as a way to foster open and honest dialogue about mental health. #HalftheStory also provides educational resources about the relationship between social media and mental health to individuals and schools around the world via programs such as Social Media U, a program for schools to help empower and educate kids to take back their relationships with technology. May and #HalfTheStory are at the helm of policy discussions, playing an integral role in California's AB 2408 that would hold social media companies responsible for designing addictive algorithms. For more information visit www.halfthestoryproject.com

Unplug Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes the global awareness campaign, National Day of Unplugging (established 2009). The organization serves as a resource center for any community looking to build an Unplugged Village™ any time of year. They aim to make tech-free experiences meaningful and accessible to all through the social impact initiative, Unplug for a Cause^®.

Maybelline New York was developed in 1915 by Thomas L. Williams and is the number one cosmetic brand in the world. Inspired by his sister Mabel's homemade lash booster made from coal and Vaseline, Williams created the brand now available in over 120 countries. By combining technologically advanced formulations with on-trend expertise and New York City edge, Maybelline New York's mission is to offer innovative, accessible and effortless cosmetics for everyone. In 2020, Maybelline introduced Brave Together, a long-term program to support anxiety and depression. For more information log on to www.maybelline.com or www.maybelline.com/bravetogether

Marissa Meizz is the creator of No More Lonely Friends, a community she built for strangers to make friends around the world in a safe space. This started through TikTok, with a viral video about a negative experience in her personal life. She discovered that loneliness is something that almost everyone experiences and set out to change that. She hosted her very first NMLF Picnic in Central Park in June of 2021 and has since hosted over 30 picnics around the world for strangers to meet up and become friends. Marissa has been featured on the cover of The NYTimes, Drew Barrymore, CBS and so many more publications around the world due to her impact. She plans on continuing to grow the NMLF community through even bigger partnerships throughout the year.

Wild Things World is here to shake up people's lives by bringing a pop of play to every day. We design thoughtful experiences and products that help people feel more inspired, creative, and connected. Take your inner child on a playdate! For more information visit @wild_things_world on Instagram.

Pinterest is the visual inspiration platform people around the world use to shop products personalized to their taste, find ideas to do offline and discover the most inspiring creators. People have saved more than 300 billion Pins across a range of interests from building a home office to cooking a new recipe and planning a vacation. Headquartered in San Francisco, Pinterest launched in 2010 and has more than 400 million monthly active users worldwide. Available on iOS and Android, and at pinterest.com.

SOURCE #HalfTheStory