Warning: this article contains content related to suicide, which may be distressing for some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help by contacting a mental health professional or a support line.
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Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
UNPLUG24 – 24 HOURS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA ON 24 OCTOBER TO HELP SAVE LIVES
On Tuesday, the 24th of October 2023, 17-year-old Mac Holdsworth took his own life. The consequences of sending nude photos, a common act for some young people, can be devastating. For Mac, sexual extortion was an incident he experienced and unfortunately, never recovered from. Determined that other families would not experience the trauma that he has, Mac’s father Wayne, a highly respected member of the Victorian basketball community and CEO of Frankston and District Basketball Association turned his grief into purpose. In the months following Mac’s death, Wayne started a charity, SmackTalk, to create a movement to help prevent suicides and drive awareness to the dangers that exist online. SmackTalk was designed to incorporate Mac’s name and his absolute love for basketball.
“While smack talk is banter, sometimes referred to as trash talk, the use of the name for this charity is to help stamp out cyber bullying and sexual extortion, and to provide education on the signs of suicide to look for.”
You can read more on SmackTalk here.
SmackTalk has just launched Unplug24, a campaign to get people off social media for 24 hours on the 24th October 2024 to help raise awareness and funds to prevent sexual extortion and suicide.
A lot of sexual extortion starts through social media and SmackTalk is calling on people to cut off avenues where sexual extortion takes place for just 24 hours. Take a break, step away and acknowledge the impact this is having on so many lives.
Basketball Victoria is getting behind Wayne’s Unplug24 initiative and will go dark on all social media for 24 hours on Thursday 24th October, the first anniversary of Mac Holdsworth taking his own life.
We urge you, our Victorian basketball community to join the movement and sign up to Unplug 24. Just 24 hours off social media to help save lives. To donate to SmackTalk and support these initiatives and more, you can donate to the Basketball Victoria’s Unplug 24 fundraising page below.
Help save lives. Sign up for the Unplug24 challenge now: www.smacktalk.com.au