CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to digital wellbeing and combating all forms of bullying and abuse online, announced a partnership today on Stop Cyberbullying Day to raise awareness of online bullying and its impact on the lives of many young people. CO. by Colgate has committed to donating $1 for every product purchased in 2021 to The Cybersmile Foundation, with a minimum gift of $200,000 and a maximum donation of $300,000.
CO. by Colgate, a purpose-driven brand built on the ideals of inclusion and genuine self-expression, sees a future where everyone can freely express themselves; when we can freely express ourselves, we smile more. Yet, according to CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation’s research, cyberbullying is a significant barrier to confident self-expression, with 73 percent of Gen Z reporting having seen someone targeted with online abuse, bullying, or harassment because of how they express their individuality or identity.
CO. by Colgate seeks to help alter this reality by financially supporting The Cybersmile Foundation’s efforts and raising awareness about cyberbullying.
“Cyberbullying is a longstanding issue that impacts people’s confidence in their smile: new research has found that 77% of Gen Z have felt self-conscious posting a selfie online because of their teeth or smile,” said Dana Medema, Vice President & General Manager, Oral Care, Colgate-North America. “We are proud to support the work of The Cybersmile Foundation to build a safer, more inclusive future for Gen-Z and all online users.”
CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation will continue to raise awareness of cyberbullying throughout the year and will publish a Cybersmile report sponsored by CO. by Colgate titled “The State of Play Report: Gen Z & Identity Based Cyberbullying” to continue the conversation beyond Stop Cyberbullying Day.
The report will focus on the prevalence of cyberbullying and its emotional impact on Generation Z, with a special emphasis on the interaction between cyberbullying and ableness, color, skin tone, religious affiliation, individual identity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The report’s findings will help shape The Cybersmile Foundation’s continued work and support services, as well as a number of best-practice suggestions for dealing with cyberbullying and reporting identity-based abuse and hate speech on a platform-by-platform basis.
“Stop Cyberbullying Day is a very important day for The Cybersmile Foundation as we dedicate our work to promote kindness, diversity and inclusion by building a safer, more positive digital community,” said Scott Freeman, CEO of The Cybersmile Foundation. “We are pleased to have CO. by Colgate as a partner, a brand that champions all people to share their authentic selves with the world and live their truth boldly.”
