MTV Amplifies Youth Efforts to End Digital Abuse with "MTV Digital Rights Project"

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the world premiere of the original movie (DIS)CONNECTED, MTV is joining forces with its audience to launch the crowd-sourced "MTV Digital Rights Project," which amplifies young peoples' voices in the fight to end digital abuse.  Going beyond a pledge or simple list of do's and don'ts, the project is a living, evolving, youth-led effort in which teens and young adults can declare and discuss their fundamental rights in a 24/7 connected world. This is the latest piece of MTV's "A THIN LINE" campaign, which has already empowered more than 1 million young people to take action to stop the spread of digital abuse.  MTV asked its audience to share and vote on what they deserve when interacting online and the audience rallied around the following rights:  

Online and on my cell, I have the right to:

• Live without pressure or abuse.
• End unhealthy relationships.
• Step in and help if I see someone getting harassed.
• Take control of my decisions.
• Disconnect whenever I want.

Young people can support the "MTV Digital Rights Project" by adding their names to the list via rights.athinline.org, by visiting the campaign's Facebook page or by texting "rights" to 66333. Additionally, they can contribute by submitting new rights at rights.athinline.org or by tweeting #ihavetheright_____ and filling in the blank.

As a way to say thank you to the early supporters of the MTV Digital Rights Project, the network will give a free, limited-edition A THIN LINE bracelet or dog tag, designed by Pete Wentz and designer Jac Vanek, to the first 10,000 people who join in. The pieces aim to encourage young people to stand up instead of stand by when they see someone's digital rights being violated, and remind those who are struggling with these issues that they're connected to help and support. The bracelet and dog tag are also meant to ignite a dialogue about digital drama in the real world. For more information on how to snag the items, visit gear.athinline.org.

"We all have the right to respect and support, and there's no level of abuse, harassment or bullying any of us should be forced to endure – online or offline," said Jason Rzepka, Vice President of Public Affairs for MTV. "The Digital Rights Project is part of MTV's sustained commitment to supporting our audience as they navigate the pitfalls of constant-connectedness and develop a code of ethics for the digital age."

The "MTV Digital Rights Project" comes on the heels of a recent MTV and Associated Press study, which found that more than half (56 percent) of young people have experienced digital harassment or abuse and that 76 percent of 14-24 year olds say digital abuse is a serious problem for people their age. Encouragingly, a majority of young people – 56 percent in 2011, vs. 47 percent in 2009 – now report they would intervene if they see someone experiencing abuse online. The insight from this research touches on the storylines in MTV's latest original movie, (DIS)CONNECTED, which explores the collision of life, love and digital drama. MTV will rebroadcast (DIS)CONNECTED on Thursday, October 13 at 4 p.m. ET/PT, with additional dates to be announced.

The "MTV Digital Rights Project" is the latest in a series of youth-led efforts from the "A THIN LINE" campaign to empower young people to draw their own line between digital use and digital abuse.  A Web and iPhone app, "Over The Line?" lets young people share, read and rate personal stories – from humorous to dramatic – about how cell phones and social networks are impacting their social lives.  Enabling youth to ask peers if digital behavior has "crossed the line" as well as rate others' stories, "Over the Line?" has elicited a strong response with more than 9,000 user-submitted stories generating over 325,000 ratings.  Additionally, "Draw Your Line" is an interactive, online visualization that celebrates the ways young people are taking action to stop the cycle of online bullying and abuse. To date, more than 30,000 positive actions have been posted on the site.  

For more information on MTV's "A THIN LINE" please head to www.ATHINLINE.org.  

About MTV

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture.  MTV, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com.

SOURCE MTV