Melaleuca Foundation Promotes Youth Wellness and Connection in Social Media, Mental Health Livestream

The Melaleuca Foundation is raising awareness about the impact of social media and mental health by helping families nationwide build healthier digital habits. Through its support of the Idaho PTA’s More Social, Less Media initiative, Melaleuca funded a nationwide livestream, allowing parents, educators and students to join the conversation about youth wellness, screen time and healthy technology habits.

The event was inspired by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s best-selling book The Anxious Generation, which calls for renewed efforts to help youth reclaim independence, reduce screen time and reconnect in the real world. 

Melaleuca’s sponsorship of this initiative reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to family wellness, youth education and community development. Through the Melaleuca Foundation, families were provided with practical tools and information that encourage stronger relationships, healthier habits and lifelong personal growth.

“We all set the tone for how technology is used in our homes and communities,” said Tony Lima, Melaleuca’s vice president of public relations. “Digital wellness is just as important as physical wellness. When families choose to be intentional by using social media as a tool, not a habit, they strengthen relationships, improve mental health and create healthy homes.”+

The full event can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/live/GuB8LqI3oD4.

Youth Lead the Way in Digital Wellness

The More Social, Less Media event brought together parents, educators, mental-health professionals and students to explore how technology affects mental health, attention span and relationships.

High-school students opened the evening with one-minute pledges describing how they are learning to put people before screens. Their stories were heartfelt reminders that meaningful relationships require effort and boundaries. 

Many spoke about leaving their phones in cars during school hours or setting time limits on social media to stay focused on real-world experiences. Others pledged to put their phones away during family meals and spend more time talking face-to-face with friends.

“We’re literally spending our lives scrolling away,” one student said. “It’s time to reclaim our time, our mental health and our relationships.”

Their sincerity and courage inspired hundreds in the in-person audience and livestream viewers to take small, achievable steps toward balance and connection.

Expert Insights: “Keep Your Mind in the Room You’re In”

Keynote speaker Dr. Matt Larsen, a double board-certified psychiatrist in adult and child psychiatry and the medical director of Ascend Mental Health, brought 20 years of experience treating youth and families. His clinical background includes working in hospitals, schools, private practice and behavioral health programs nationwide. He has a strong interest in suicide prevention and serves as chairman of a Suicide Prevention Action Network chapter.

Larsen shared research-based strategies for improving digital wellness and strengthening family relationships in the face of constant online distraction.

“Keep your mind in the room you’re in,” Larsen said. “It’s the number one thing that could cure, prevent or save most mental illness.”

He explained that attention is the foundation of mental wellness and reclaiming our focus begins with simple, consistent routines. “Sleep, eat, connect, and sweat,” he said. “Those four activities will prevent or cure more mental illness than anything else.”

Equally important, Larsen encouraged parents to prioritize their presence when they return home each day.

“When you get home, give your family the first 90 seconds,” he said. “Don’t bring in the groceries or check your phone. Just say, ‘I’m home.’ Let them see you, talk to you and hug you before you do anything else.”

And with humor and plenty of 80s and 90s pop culture references, he reminded the audience that boredom is essential for creativity.

“Boredom is the birthplace of fun,” he said, while showing a grainy picture of kids riding bikes around the neighborhood. “If you’re not willing to be bored, you’ll never have genuine joy.”

Leaders Reinforce the Message

Idaho Senator Kevin Cook spoke about restoring civility in both online and personal interactions.

“Civility is not weakness. Civility is strength,” Cook said. “It’s choosing to disagree without destroying.”

And he emphasized the power of empathy and human connection.

“When we put down the phone and look someone in the eyes, something powerful happens,” he said. “We don’t see a political label—we see a child of God.”

Dr. Jordan Hillam, a popular orthodontist, encouraged families to stay grounded in real relationships.

“Be mentally where you are physically,” Hillam said. “Don’t escape every quiet or boring moment to your phone—learn to sit in it.” He added, “Look people in the eyes. Learn to value human touch. Because that’s where we connect—not through a screen. We have to master technology, not let it master us.”

Shelly Smede, a longstanding high-school principal, urged parents to create spaces of rest.

“Ban electronics from your bedrooms,” Smede said. “If not 24/7, at least for the eight to 10 hours needed for productive sleep. In a world that never powers down, you desperately need a space that does.”

Families Take the Purpose • Plan • Pause Pledge

The event concluded with a nationwide pledge built around three guiding principles:

Purpose — Use technology to connect, not to escape.
Plan — Create family rules for screen-free meals, study time and bedtime.
Pause — Before you scroll or post, ask: Will this help me be present and kind?

Families who tuned in to the livestream were invited to take the same pledge and put their intentions into practice at home.

Real Connection at the Heart of Melaleuca’s Business Culture

Following the Less Social More Media event, Melaleuca leaders reflected on how the evening’s message aligns with the company’s values.

Kevin Sommer, Melaleuca’s senior vice president of business development, noted that many Marketing Executives rely heavily on social media to share information, build contact lists and set appointments. Yet, he said, the most meaningful business growth still happens through genuine human interaction.

Melaleuca encourages responsible social media use rooted in purpose, professionalism and personal connection. While digital platforms are effective tools for networking and education, the company believes they should always lead to real conversations and lasting relationships. And they should not replace them. In business and in daily life, Melaleuca teaches that technology should serve people, not distract from them.

As an illustration of this point, Shelby Ford, a Melaleuca customer since 2010, once posted on Instagram, “Melaleuca has opened our eyes to the importance of relationships. I have friends all over the world who I never would have met were it not for Melaleuca. I feel better about myself and have such strong emotional connections now with others. Melaleuca truly encourages wellness on every level.

This principle mirrors the event’s overarching theme: technology should enhance relationships, not replace them. Melaleuca’s culture emphasizes that success—whether in health, family or business—comes from authentic communication, mutual respect and meaningful engagement.

Simple Habits for a Healthier Home

Speakers offered practical, everyday ways to restore connection and focus:

• Give loved ones your first 90 seconds of attention when you walk in the door.
• Keep phones out of bedrooms and off the dinner table. Better yet, leave devices out of reach during meals and conversations.
• Enjoy one screen at a time.
• Encourage outdoor play, in-person gatherings and creative hobbies.
• Model the balance you want your children to learn.

These small changes, repeated consistently, can dramatically improve family health and strengthen relationships over time.

The Takeaway

The More Social, Less Media event ended with a standing ovation and a shared sense of hope for the next generation.

“Attention is the gateway to joy,” Larsen said. “When we create routines that value presence, children flourish.”

Through its sponsorship, the Melaleuca Foundation reaffirmed its mission to enhance lives, strengthen families and educate the youth. Supporting the More Social, Less Media initiative reflects Melaleuca’s belief that screen-time awareness, digital wellness and healthy technology habits are essential to modern family health.

As part of its broader mission, the Melaleuca Foundation continues to promote education, emotional resilience and meaningful human connection, all adding up to helping families live healthier, more purposeful lives.