Philip Green and Niki and Sammy Albon are set to appear in the GIF Me A Response event on Facebook Live to relaunch Childline’s Zipit app.
They will be appearing as guests alongside DJ and presenter Snoochie Shy. The live stream will be hosted by radio presenter Julie Adenuga, and is set to take place at 4pm on 1 November on Childline’s Facebook page.
Pleased to say!!!
we're taking part in the @NSPCC ZIP IT livestream tomorrow!
Please RT you peaches 🍑 pic.twitter.com/1865qeJpbc
— Niki and Sammy (@nikinsammy) October 31, 2017
Originally launched in 2013, the Zipit app has been updated to include a range of humorous images and GIFs that can be sent in response to requests for nudes or unwanted sexts.
The live stream will feature a GIF studio where Philip, Niki, Sammy and Snoochie will be creating real-time response GIFs for awkward flirting situations suggested by viewers.
Ready for today!!! Guys come watch at 4pm! https://t.co/ZXLBqfKHv6 https://t.co/mRgxtQPo9K
— Philip Green (@PhilWGreen) November 1, 2017
New figures from Childline reveal the NSPCC service held 2,634 counselling sessions about sexting and self-generated explicit images in 2016/17.
Counsellors heard how some young people felt pressured into sending nude selfies, and that some were worried that images they had sent would be shared with others or posted online.
One 14-year-old girl said: “I sent some naked pictures of myself to a boy that I was talking to online. I really regret it now because he took screenshots and says that he’ll show them to all my friends. I don’t know how to report him, I really don’t want my family to find out.”
NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless said: “Many young people tell Childline that they feel pressured into sending sexual images of themselves and don’t always have the confidence to say no. Once a teenager sends an image of themselves they have no control over where it is shared or who sees it, and sometimes images can end up online.
“This can leave a child feeling humiliated and even lead to them being bullied or blackmailed. By using humour Zipit helps young people take control of online chatting that becomes awkward or pressurised and support them if something goes wrong.”
Zipit can be download for free from Google Play and the App Store. The Zipit GIFs are also available online at giphy.com/zipit.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this this article you can talk to a Childline counsellor. Call 0800 1111 or talk online at childline.org.uk
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