How the Blethr platform can be used by teen males aged 13 and older
Date: Thursday 03 Apr 2025
The Blethr platform can be used by teen males aged 13 and older, but we recommend parental supervision, so below are some useful instructions on how you can introduce them to Blethr.
Supervising a teen male aged 13 and above to use Blethr can be a meaningful way to support his mental wellbeing while fostering trust and independence. Here’s how you can approach it effectively:
1. Understand Blethr’s Purpose and Benefits.
- Blethr is a free, anonymous digital platform designed to support mental wellbeing. It provides a safe, private space for self-reflection and emotional exploration, which is particularly valuable for young males who may struggle to articulate their feelings.
- It’s not a crisis service or a replacement for professional therapy, but it’s a proactive tool for early intervention, helping users understand their emotions, develop coping mechanisms, and make positive changes in their lives.
2. Create a Supportive Environment.
- Open Communication: Start by having an honest conversation with your teen about why mental health is important and how Blethr can help. Emphasize that it’s a tool for self-discovery and personal growth, not a sign of weakness.
- Normalize Emotional Expression: Encourage your teen to see Blethr as a way to explore his feelings without judgment. Share that it’s okay to feel a range of emotions and that using tools like Blethr is a sign of strength.
3. Set Clear Boundaries and Guidelines.
- Privacy and Trust: Let your teen know that Blethr is a private space for him to explore his thoughts. Avoid pressuring him to share every detail of his experience, as this could discourage him from using the platform.
- Time Management: Help him set aside specific times to use Blethr, ensuring it doesn’t interfere with schoolwork, sleep, or other responsibilities.
4. Introduce the Blethr Channels.
- Explain the four conversational channels available on Blethr and how they can be used:
- Just A Blethr: For open-ended conversations to explore thoughts and feelings.
- Deeper Blethr: To focus on understanding emotions and their origins.
- Wee Blethr: To examine current moods and identify ways to feel better.
- Clean Blethr: For quick, intuitive reflections using mental images.
- Suggest starting with Wee Blethr, as it’s action-oriented and goal-focused, which can be particularly appealing to young males.
5. Encourage Regular Use.
- Highlight that using Blethr regularly can help him better understand his feelings, develop coping strategies, and build emotional intelligence over time.
- Frame it as a tool for self-improvement, much like exercising for physical health.
6. Monitor Without Intruding.
- While respecting his privacy, check in periodically to see how he’s finding the experience. Ask open-ended questions like, “How’s Blethr working for you?” or “Do you feel it’s helping you understand your emotions better?”
- If he’s hesitant to share, reassure him that it’s okay and that you’re there to support him whenever he’s ready.
7. Be a Role Model.
- Show that you value mental health by discussing your own strategies for managing stress and emotions. This can help normalize the use of tools like Blethr and encourage him to engage with it more openly.
8. Know When to Seek Additional Help.
- Remind your teen that Blethr is not a crisis service. If he ever feels overwhelmed or has thoughts of harming himself, it’s crucial to contact a GP, mental health professional, or a crisis hotline immediately (e.g., Samaritans at 116123).
By supervising in a supportive, non-intrusive way, you can help your teen make the most of Blethr while fostering his independence and emotional growth.
We have also done deep research on male teenage mental health and the 'manosphere' and used that data to update BraveheartGPT to answer questions or worries you may have.
You can learn more by asking BraveheartGPT, our AI portal (Link in the article below), for more advice and information, or he can create some prompts or questions that your teen could use to get started, or why not try out Blethr yourself.