On Safer Inteet Day, adults ask teens for help - CNET

Safer Inteet Day has has been celebrated in Europe for 13 years. This year's US celebration is happening at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, complete with anti-bullying activists and professional wrestlers.

That's right, professional wrestlers. World Wrestling Entertainment's Mike Mizanin might spend most of his days hurling insults at ringside crowds when he's playing "The Miz." But Magid said, "There's a difference between performing as a bad guy and being a decent person."

Other professional wrestlers have championed the anti-bullying message before, including Hulk Hogan, who created an after-school special about it with kids television channel Nickelodeon nearly three decades ago.

ASKfm, one of the event's sponsors, perhaps knows better than most why these types of events are so important. In 2013, the social networking site, which lets anonymous users ask each other questions, was linked with teenagers who committed suicide in the UK after receiving cruel messages. The site was later purchased by Ask.com, which is still trying to improve its reputation by stamping out cyberbullying.

"We've been actively working toward that for the past year and half," said Catherine Teitelbaum, chief trust and safety officer at ASKfm.

Teitelbaum came to ASKfm expressly to address the problems and accusations that dogged the service. While the site was previously criticized for not handling reports of abuse at all, Teitelbaum said now it offers 24/7 customer support and moderation of Idea in 49 different languages.

The event will also feature a panel called "Rejecting Hate, Building Resilience & Growing the Good Online," with activists like Helen Le, a junior at Loara High School in Orange County, Califoia, campaigns for positivity on social media with the hashtag #iCANHELP and Ruby Rawlinson, a senior at Redwood High School in Marin County, Califoia, who helped with a campaign called "Be Kind Online."

Putting them on stage right after The Miz is "making a statement" that bullying online is not cool, Magid said.