Whether in the classroom or online, the problem of bullying persists for kids. Nearly 1 out of every 4 students report some form of harassment from their peers. Suicide rates for children and teens have continually risen over the past two decades, with the rate among adolescent girls tripling over the past 15 years. So the X Games decided to start a movement to end bullying in schools.
Last fall, the action sports organization launched the antiharassment initiative called “Shred Hate.” The X Games and ESPN have partnered with the anti-bullying groups No Bully, GLSEN, Crisis Text Line and DoSomething.org to address the problem on a grassroots level. For instance, Shred Hate and No Bully will distribute curriculum to schools and will train school leadership on how to effectively intervene when they see bullying and cyberbullying occurring among students.
X Games athletes have joined in on the cause as well. The campaign sent winter and action sports stars to speak at schools in the lead-up to the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, and are planning to visit eight more before the summer games in Minneapolis. Torin Yater-Wallace, the youngest medalist in X Games history and one of the top freestyle skiers in the world, spoke at his hometown high school in Aspen to spread the “Shred Hate” message last January. He told us about his experience and why he thinks this campaign is so important.
How did you get involved in the “Shred Hate” campaign?
The X Games were in my hometown of Aspen and they organized athletes to speak at the high school. I was approached along with Alex Ferreira, one of my close friends and competitors in the free-skiing world, who also went to Aspen High School, and they asked us to speak. High school can be a pretty tough time, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to go back to the school where I grew up and became the person I am and speak to kids who might be moved or touched by Alex or myself. It was very cool to motivate these kids and help them push through these times or take that extra step to be kind to everyone else.
Do you think the popularity of winter sports in Aspen and the fact that you’re from there helped the students connect with what you were saying?
I still get nervous talking to crowds, but looking around and seeing all these kids go to school where I did, and even knowing a bunch of them personally and knowing they ski, definitely helped in my head while speaking.
Not everyone in Aspen is necessarily a skier or snowboarder, but there is a massive winter sports community and they host a lot of major events there, so I’d like to think that having that around them would make them big supporters of us and everything that we do. I know when I went to school there and we had skiers as guest speakers, I thought it was pretty cool because it’s somebody I can relate to. I still remember when (former extreme skiing world champion) Chris Davenport talked to the school when I was a student.
Why do you think it’s important for the X Games to be involved in an anti-bullying campaign?
Everyone in the skiing community is super-friendly. It’s an individual sport, but when we’re not competing, all of us are really close friends and very supportive of each other. I think that’s what makes it such an inviting community and industry. A lot of us wouldn’t be where we are today in our respective sports if we were bullied or didn’t have the support we did from the communities we grew up in.
In high school, I had to decide whether or not to go pro. Kids who chase their dream to be a professional athlete aren’t at school as much, skip classes, and can’t be as involved in the high school community, whether that’s being in class or socializing outside of school. So you’re not really a popular student. I don’t know what other students thought of me, but I could see them thinking it was weird. But to become the best and be at the top level as a professional athlete, you need that support around you during those times.
So that’s why I think it’s important for the X Games to start this anti-bullying campaign, because I can 100 percent say that all of us competing would not be where we’re at today without the support of others—whether it’s family, friends or community.
How can students show support for people being bullied?
Just saying ‘hi’ or reaching out to help a friend that’s being bullied or having a bad day can mean a lot. That person may not be your best friend, but that one nice comment could really mean something.
How can people get involved in the Shred Hate campaign?
If you’ve got a history with bully(ing) or somebody close to you is being bullied, get involved. If you wanted to help out, check out their website. I’ve met a bunch of people who work for Shred Hate and they’re super-cool people and I’m very fortunate to work with them. Whatever they’re doing in the future, I am more than happy to be partnered with it.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.