What the Tech: Crisis text line helps in fight against teen depression

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Teenagers and children who spend a lot of time on social media struggle with depression and anxiety. Multiple studies link time spent on Instagram in particular with depression and isolation in teens.

Teenagers who feel they need to talk to someone often don’t follow through with finding that someone. Now a non-profit group aims to meet those children and teenagers where they are: on their smartphones.

Teenagers may have their smartphones in their hands every second, but you know what they don’t do? Talk on the phone. But they do text and that’s the idea behind trained counselors standing by to text teenagers and children who need help.

The Crisis Text Line is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service where children and teenagers can connect with a licensed counselor over text messages. It’s as simple as sending a text to HOME, or 741-741. When they do, one of the volunteer counselors will text back, usually within a couple of minutes. The trained counselors will stay in the message string for as long as the teenager needs to communicate. The messages are private with the same confidentiality rules that apply when a counselor meets someone in their office or over the phone.

Teenagers can even chat now with counselors over the popular messaging app WhatsApp. Since it launched in 2013, counselors have had over 8.3 million conversations. The most frequent issues teenagers and children want to chat about are relationships, depression, suicide, and loneliness.

Crisis Text Line is a non-profit and relies on private donations. It’s also seeking trained counselors to volunteer their time to answer texts as they come in. Again, the number to text is 741-741 or HOME. If you work around teenagers, or in a school or church, you can download free flyers and posters to share or post on a bulletin board.

Counselors will also answer messages over the crisis text line website, CrisisTextLine.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

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