Written by Nancy Lee, as part of her Social Marketing Sightings theme.
Sighted on: Evening News
Social Issue: Youth Mental Health
Social Marketing Strategy: A New Product
This week on the local evening news, there was a featured segment described as a new and innovative way to help address Youth Mental Health issues. Quotes on their website provide highlights: https://www.familyfusiongame.com/
“Studies show that parents who talk with their kids about drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. are less likely to have children who engage in these behaviors. So let’s start talking with our tweens and teens.
“FAMILY FUSION encourages families to play a card game that will encourage discussions around tough topics including drugs, peer pressure, bullying, etc.) and practice responding to difficult scenarios, while having fun, too!”
Cards present a “Situation” and then the family discusses answers to the questions.
“I created the FAMILY FUSION game to inspire interaction, role-playing and discussion within families and to better prepare our children to respond in difficult situations.As a mother of three, I understand the importance of communicating with our children and seizing each teachable moment. While working in the public school system, I observed how parental involvement is paramount in establishing strong bonds with your tweens and teens. Through my work at a non-profit organization, I was exposed to the heartbreak of those in our community facing the devastating effects of their choices. During my employment in human services for local government, I witnessed the struggles of people in our society. The culmination of these experiences, coupled with the constant stream of news about the plight of our children, led me to develop a tool to help tackle these issues. My hope is that the FAMILY FUSION game can bring families together to talk about tough topics and help to prepare our children to navigate the world.”