What advice would you give your teenage self?
That's the question a new YouTube campaign is posing to women in celebration of International Women's Day on March 8. Using the hashtag #DearMe, the campaign asks women to provide counsel to the current generation of youngsters struggling with self-doubt and social pressure.
"If you could go back in time, what wisdom would you share with your teenage self? It all starts with two words. Dear Me," says the caption of a two-minute video that compiles testimony and advice from more than two dozen women to their younger selves.
With words of wisdom provided by YouTube personalities such as Michelle Phan, Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart, the video has amassed more than 1.5 million views within its first two days online. It encourages young women to embrace their differences and individuality with messages such as “Don’t follow the crowd. Be who you want to be,” and “Stop trying so hard to be someone you’re not.”
YouTube is also encouraging users to upload their own “video letters" to themselves and join the #DearMe conversation on Twitter, as well as create #DearMe gifs on its Tumblr page.
The #DearMe campaign was modeled after previous YouTube efforts that went viral, including #ItGetsBetter and #ProudToPlay.