Purpose
LookUp exists to give young people the opportunity, platform, and agency to thrive in the digital world.
Instead of having adults solve a problem they haven’t lived through, LookUp gets right to the source: by mobilizing and listening to Millennials and Gen Z, we use personal experience as fuel to drive real social change.
LookUp's Youth 4 Youth Community Hub is the largest and most active network of social innovators, change agents, dare-devils, and those brave enough to question the status quo to create a healthy, more inclusive, and responsible digital world that is free from harm and full of opportunity.
About Us
Founded in 2019, LookUp is a youth-led 501(c)3 social venture dedicated to helping young people thrive in the digital world. Because youth agency is at the heart of our mission and an essential part of our programmatic DNA, we don’t tell them what to do. We ask them. Through our flagship programs and events, we discover, empower, and mobilize youth leaders who are taking action to raise awareness, inspire, and design a healthy, more inclusive, and responsible digital world.
Why Now?
The digital transformation of society is happening at a rapid pace yielding many undeniable social and economic benefits: mental health and wellbeing communities and support are more available online, access to information and economic opportunities have improved, as has the use of artificial intelligence to advance the sustainable development goals. Yet, our disruptive and ubiquitous digital ecosystem and attention economy are wreaking havoc on the social, emotional, and developmental fabric of our youngest generations - those born digital. Consider the following:
Fact - Children who are cyberbullied are 3X more likely to commit suicide;
Fact - Non-fatal self-harm for girls 10-14 has increased 189% since 2009 - coinciding with the launch of Instagram;
Fact - Nearly 1 in 3 teen girls have been asked by adults for nudes online;
Fact - 50% of youth surveyed say they feel addicted to their phones.
