The “Wild, Wild West” is the phrase many use to describe the landscape of social media — a largely lawless territory that could negatively impact mental health, especially among young people. However, social media’s power has also been a major force for good, raising awareness of charitable causes and facilitating support for advances in health and medicine. To further this aim, NewsXPartners Corporation, an international publicity and public relations firm and a long-time champion of progress in health and wellness, is now harnessing the power of social media to aid St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital through the work of brand ambassadors.
Chances are, you’ll be online today. More than half of the world — 5.07 billion people— are now users of social media, and the average time spent on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram has grown to nearly 2.5 hours per day. In the twenty years since its launch, Facebook has become the most widely used online social network, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all social media users worldwide. As of this year, 2 billion people log in to Facebook every day, while 3 billion people — more than a third of the world’s population — check it each month.
NewsXPartners Corporation Rallies Its Social Media Talents in Support of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is an original (NewsHealthWatch) article.
The rise of major social media
What started as a dorm room venture at Harvard, Facebook has become a worldwide juggernaut, ushering in a new era in the way the world connects. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg and others in 2004, Facebook initially targeted college students before expanding to the general public. It introduced the News Feed in 2006, transforming how users consumed content by offering features such as status updates, photo sharing, and groups.
Twitter, now known as X, next introduced the concept of microblogging, allowing users to share short messages (tweets) and follow others in real time. Founded in 2006, it soon became a platform for real-time news and public discourse, eventually morphing into a major platform for politicians.
YouTube, launched in 2005, revolutionized video sharing by enabling users to upload, view, and share videos globally. It is now used by approximately eighty percent of adults (83%, to be exact) in the U.S.
New growth and expansion
Instagram, launched in 2010, emphasizes visual content, allowing users to apply filters and create visually appealing photos and videos. These can come with hashtags, which are location-based geotags that are searchable within the app.
The popularity and nature of the service have brought many advertisers to Instagram and helped launch the era of “influencers” — individuals who have built a considerable social media following and use that influence to promote particular products or services. With more than 2 billion active users per month, Instagram consumers make up more than one-third of the world’s active internet users.
Keeping the “social” in “social media”
As interest in traditional media continues to dwindle, an increasing number of people are turning to news influencers to keep up with current events, including navigating political landscapes. Online shopping also motivates the use of social media. Teens, in particular, say finding things to buy is one of their main reasons for using such platforms. However, the majority of users insist that staying in touch with friends and family is the top reason for accessing the sites, highlighting that the social aspect of social media is still going strong.
Social media for social good
Altruistic motives also drive support for important causes. Increasingly, online initiatives are being used to facilitate positive changes in the world. Social media makes it easy for young people to educate themselves about important issues and amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard. In addition, social media raises public awareness of local and global issues such as climate change and healthcare disparities, helping to form alliances to drive meaningful change. For example, the Global Fund for Children advocates for policy changes to bring about more equitable technology access in rural areas so that all children can participate in distance learning.
Childhood illness treatments as a social need
Also among the charitable causes that continually attract attention are those fighting diseases that affect children, such as childhood cancer. Despite recent improvements, childhood cancer diagnoses have become more common compared to 15 years ago. While rare, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children aged 1 to 14, following accidents, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
The National Cancer Institute states that certain types of environmental exposures have been linked to the rise in pediatric cancers, with children living in large cities having higher cancer rates. According to a 2022 study conducted in Switzerland, exposure to traffic-related air pollution has direct links to childhood leukemia.
Additionally, other serious childhood autoimmune diseases are also on the rise, including kidney, liver, intestinal, and rheumatological diseases, all of which have seen a tenfold increase in the last several years.
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital answers the call.
Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is a leading treatment facility for childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases affecting children. St. Jude is also a major research center that helps turn laboratory breakthroughs into lifesaving treatments for children from across the United States and around the world. St. Jude conducts more clinical trials for cancer than any other children’s hospital, and families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food. St. Jude’s name comes from Saint Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes and a personal favorite of its founder, entertainer Danny Thomas.
St. Jude has been the source of major milestones in the treatment and research of childhood and life-threatening diseases, including:
- Being designated as a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, the first and only cancer center solely focused on pediatric cancer to receive this distinction.
- Winning a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to Peter Doherty, Chair of Immunology at St. Jude.
- Launching the After Completion of Therapy Clinic, the world’s largest long-term follow-up clinic for pediatric cancer patients.
- Pioneering the first major initiative to understand the lifelong progression of sickle cell disease.
NewsXPartners Corporation supports St. Jude via social media.
To harness the immense reach and influence of social media, NewsXPartners Corporation (NXP) has established the NXP Ambassadors Syndicate. This collective comprises notable social media influencers originally brought together to promote ethical, superior-quality brands within the health, wellness, and longevity field.
NXP’s Director of Communications, Douglas Elliot, highlights that these well-admired social media talents positively leverage their popularity and platforms to raise awareness of the good work done by St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
“The NXP Ambassadors Syndicate was not only brought into being for solid business purposes — to unite and coordinate the creative efforts, contacts, and firepower of social media talents and celebrity influencers — but also for the purpose of supporting the works of NewsXPartners Corporation within the realm of charitable giving and promoting worthy causes.”
NewsXPartners Corporation as a visionary in support of social media for good
In the current social media climate, characterized by doomscrolling, toxic trolling, and intense legislative and medical scrutiny, it’s easy to feel disheartened about the beneficial possibilities of social media. However, Elliot emphasizes that it’s also become evident that these online platforms have tremendous potential to be used as forces for social good.
“NewsXPartners Corporation has been and continues to be involved in an effort to utilize and leverage media for social good and humanitarian purposes,” he says. “Media, applied with caring and compassion, can be a force for good. It does not have to be a negative and divisive thing.”
The following members of NXP’s Ambassadors Syndicate will be leveraging their social media influence to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital:
Jungle Cae (@junglecae): Based in Chicago, Jungle Cae is a cannabis educator and model who advises his followers about different kinds of cannabis, new products, and retail outlets.
Madison Blackley (@madmads.world): Madison Blackley is a professional snowboarder who treats her followers to reels of urban and backcountry snowboarding, documenting her experiences at competitions across the country.
Luv – E -locs (@luvelocs): A stylist specializing in locs (aka dreadlocks), Luv – E -locs shares tips on loc care, upkeep, and scalp health, offering insights into maintaining and styling locs.
April Cole (@perrsnicketee): A self-care advocate and champion for women of all ages, April Cole features her experiences in travel, eats, style, and self-love.
Jer Landon (@jerumai): A traveling foodie, Jer Landon eats his way through New York, Paris, London, and parts unknown, sharing food photographs and recipes with his followers.
London (@shapedbylondon): A personal fitness trainer based in Dallas, London offers a fitness & nutrition app with meal plans and fitness programs, challenging her audience to “train like a baddie.”
Iamsaintju (@iamsaintju): Fitness enthusiast Iamsaintju taste-tests new energy drinks, cooks his favorite meals, shares his favorite workouts and supplements, and offers recipe packs.
John Kim (@thejohnhongkim): With a doctorate in nursing, nurse practitioner John Kim seeks to be an unbiased source of healthcare information, from nutrition and fitness to mental wellness and self-care.
Shelby Matthews (@iamladyshell): LadyShell aims to be a go-to source for all things lifestyle, providing tips and tricks to help her followers navigate everyday life, motherhood, and marriage.
Ruu (@official_bigruu): Ruben Demosthene (Ruu) is a former professional athlete turned fashion and runway model. He placed second in his group in the 2024 Mr. Health and Fitness competition.
Nate Zarlengo (@xatefrogg): An active triathlete based in Salt Lake City, Nate Zarengo bikes, runs, and swims his way through the Ironman World Championships and other competitions.
Desharné Carroll (@desharnecarroll): California Attorney Desharné Carroll models for the camera in evening apparel and swimwear, sharing her experience competing in the Miss Alabama / USA pageant.
For further reading:
The Financial Express: Taming the social media juggernaut
Manchester Digital: The Positive Side of Social Media
Medium: The Impact of Social Media on Modern Society
Maryville University: The Evolution of Social Media: How Did It Begin and Where Could It Go Next?
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
