Thank you to my good friend Carli Bushoven for sharing this message.
Sometimes the people who seem to have their lives most together are the ones who are actually falling apart. Living in an age of social media and intense comparison, many young adults today are obsessing about keeping up or achieving unrealistic goals of perfection. There are real effects that social media has on a person’s brain and how it affects their communication skills. At just 19, Madison Holleran, known to have both beauty and brains, had also earned a coveted spot on UPenn’s ivy league track team and won multiple academic and athletic awards. Madison may not have realized the real danger in her pursuit of perfection. She struggled immensely with her sense of failure and it ultimately ended her life in early 2014. Carli challenges others to ask themselves is this life worth dying for. Carli Bushoven is the Director of Communications for the Madison Holleran Foundation which was established in early 2014 when her sister, Madison Holleran, died by suicide. Carli runs all communication aspects of the foundation including social media, marketing and speaking events where she shares Madison’s story and the impact it has had on her and her family. Passionate for suicide awareness and prevention, Carli shares Madison’s story in an effort to inspire others to speak out about mental health and end the stigma. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T81TQ4wO9kA&feature=youtu.be
