Teen Who Used To Be Bullied Creates ‘Sit With Us’ App That Helps Students Find Lunch Buddies
After having to sit alone during lunch in the 7th grade and being the target of bullies, Natalie Hampton, a 16-year-old from Sherman Oaks, California, decided to create an app that helps lonely students find lunch buddies.
Titled ‘Sit With Us’, the app, which was launched on September 9th, helps prevents kids from being publicly rejected. The users know as ‘ambassadors’ create open lunch invites on the app, which signal to other users that are looking for buddies. “This way it’s very private. It’s through the phone. No one else has to know,” she explained to NPR. “And you know that you’re not going to be rejected once you get to the table.” Hampton says people are already posting open lunches at her school, so it’s a good start!
More info: Sit With Us (h/t: huffingtonpost, NPR)
Meet 16-year-old Natalie Hampton
Image credits: Carolyn Hampton
She sat alone during lunch in middle school and was the target of bullies
Image credits: Paramount Pictures
Therefore, she decided to create an app called ‘Sit With Us’
Image credits: Gene Blevins
It helps lonely students find lunch buddies without being publicly rejected
Image credits: Carolyn Hampton
You can download the app here, and let’s hope it will catch on!
Image credits: Carolyn Hampton
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It's a great idea but the character illustrations are of snarky skinny popular types like jocks and cheerleaders. Maybe the characters could be a little more welcoming. I'm a designer so I just see these kinds of things
Natalie - I am so inspired by you. I wish I could join you for lunch! But I WILL share your app on my FB site. My hope for you is that your app reaches ALL the children out there who long for a friend during lunch. You ROCK!
I'm curious how it prevents bullies from using the app and being vindictive. Which has known to happen in various situations! Great idea!
If bullies abuse the app, they app should have an option to report the bully and the police should be notified. It may result it a nice little stalking charge. I think this app is a beautiful idea. Agree there should be attention given to keeping the app "real" by not just using the stereotypical "beautiful people". Also, users of the app, please try to be true to its purpose. Don't turn into the same clickish people by rejecting new users.
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Good idea, but I know how bullies think seeing as though some acquaintances of mine bully and talk to me about it. Using this app will just make you a bigger target for bullies. I can already hear it now...: "You use an app to join in lunches? Pffff, social anxiety much? F*****g outcast." No joke. Bullies are harsh man. They'll do this and not give a f**k.
or use the app themselves so they don't have to search the hallways/loos anymore ;'/ ghehe
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Oh wow! This is such an amazing idea! I'm proud of you sweetie. I do a green that the designs could be a bit more friendly looking as Ian Finch said, perhaps making them a but more diverse? Otherwise this is such an amazing idea! Makes me wish I was still in high school so I could be an ambassador. I used to be the dork in a fedora that would come and invite people to sit with me and my friends lol. Again great idea!
Stupid that its necesarry this kind of apps because of bullying. But I think this app is a nice idea, and that a former bullied person helps others I think is awsome.
Meh. Wish her luck. I spent my high school lunch hours in the parking lot smoking pot. With the other weirdos. And dgaf. Still don't!
She's going places. I wouldn't be surprised if I read about her in popular tech & business magazines a couple years from now. hmm... ironic how the people illustrated in the app look exactly like the kind of "cool" "popular" people who would reject and bully the so-called "losers" [a.k.a. normal, common students].
i think this is a wonderful idea that could greatly help with social anxiety and depression in kids. Way to go Ms. Hampton!!
I think this could be useful outside the school too. I wanna get a coffee and need someone to talk to. Could be in a good use
I would keep it for school use only. Because if it's used outside, it would open another door for predators to tease young kids and put them in danger. Kids with no-friends or who want to make new friends would look for a "open-lunch" spot and if a kidnapper or sex offender created that open-lunch, the kid could be fooled into a trap. I think that could get dangerous.
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Why would someone bully such a babe? She's the type that makes one wish he were in 8th grade again. Cute, smart, redheaded... The guys at her school must all be morons.
I think its great. I felt so alone all through high school. I used to not even eat in the lunch room because of it.
Brilliant idea young lady. I hope it makes the impact you're aiming for.
Doubt she will have issues having anyone to sit with now, once the kids at school all find out she's made a million off an app
How about teaching the kid how not become a victim and how to defend when s**t hits the fan?
I love the idea. Natalie, thank you! There are lots of bullies at my school that bully our younger grades, so this is a great way for bullied kids to have a friend, which could possibly be more then a friend!
I like this idea, its great and all but it doesn't really solve the problem that they are being bullied.
The only think this...thing...is gonna help with is more bulling, and that's a 100% fact. Maybe the little girls heart was in the right place, but this is never gonna work....think about it, from the bullies perspective you're gonna be the same scrub sitting alone, and now you're just talking to a game to your phone like an idiot, you're definitely getting slapped if you did before. Just learn to deal and face your problems people, don't run away from them in a f****n' digital world.
Great App, do ADD Bully list+ blocker so people will be notified asap of assh*le on the loose...like Wanted posters of the wild wild west
Ahhhh bullies. Being jealous and trying to integrate with people who will prepare your bigmac in 10 years when you won't have time cooking in your mansion...
What a wonderful example to show empowerment not only for herself, the creator of this app, but also to share that empowerment with others. I'm very impressed and I appreciate your service to your fellow beings. Goodlife
What American public schools need are dinner supervisors to patrol the dining area to make sure that exclusion is curbed and that pupils can't be turned away from a table if there are spare spaces.
In French schools pupils sit at long tables at lunch and are expected to fill up the tables in order so the first few pupils in the lunch queue have to sit at the first table, fill it up from the far side and leave no gaps. That means no pupil can refuse to let another pupil sit next to them.
Bullied? I think she's cute. Must be USA where if you are a ginger or a straight white person you are a criminal cause you are born that way!
Patronising ....I am so sad I need an app to help people like me ? Not feeling it sorry
It's a great idea but the character illustrations are of snarky skinny popular types like jocks and cheerleaders. Maybe the characters could be a little more welcoming. I'm a designer so I just see these kinds of things
Natalie - I am so inspired by you. I wish I could join you for lunch! But I WILL share your app on my FB site. My hope for you is that your app reaches ALL the children out there who long for a friend during lunch. You ROCK!
I'm curious how it prevents bullies from using the app and being vindictive. Which has known to happen in various situations! Great idea!
If bullies abuse the app, they app should have an option to report the bully and the police should be notified. It may result it a nice little stalking charge. I think this app is a beautiful idea. Agree there should be attention given to keeping the app "real" by not just using the stereotypical "beautiful people". Also, users of the app, please try to be true to its purpose. Don't turn into the same clickish people by rejecting new users.
Load More Replies... Good idea, but I know how bullies think seeing as though some acquaintances of mine bully and talk to me about it. Using this app will just make you a bigger target for bullies. I can already hear it now...: "You use an app to join in lunches? Pffff, social anxiety much? F*****g outcast." No joke. Bullies are harsh man. They'll do this and not give a f**k.
or use the app themselves so they don't have to search the hallways/loos anymore ;'/ ghehe
Load More Replies... Oh wow! This is such an amazing idea! I'm proud of you sweetie. I do a green that the designs could be a bit more friendly looking as Ian Finch said, perhaps making them a but more diverse? Otherwise this is such an amazing idea! Makes me wish I was still in high school so I could be an ambassador. I used to be the dork in a fedora that would come and invite people to sit with me and my friends lol. Again great idea!
Stupid that its necesarry this kind of apps because of bullying. But I think this app is a nice idea, and that a former bullied person helps others I think is awsome.
Meh. Wish her luck. I spent my high school lunch hours in the parking lot smoking pot. With the other weirdos. And dgaf. Still don't!
She's going places. I wouldn't be surprised if I read about her in popular tech & business magazines a couple years from now. hmm... ironic how the people illustrated in the app look exactly like the kind of "cool" "popular" people who would reject and bully the so-called "losers" [a.k.a. normal, common students].
i think this is a wonderful idea that could greatly help with social anxiety and depression in kids. Way to go Ms. Hampton!!
I think this could be useful outside the school too. I wanna get a coffee and need someone to talk to. Could be in a good use
I would keep it for school use only. Because if it's used outside, it would open another door for predators to tease young kids and put them in danger. Kids with no-friends or who want to make new friends would look for a "open-lunch" spot and if a kidnapper or sex offender created that open-lunch, the kid could be fooled into a trap. I think that could get dangerous.
Load More Replies... Why would someone bully such a babe? She's the type that makes one wish he were in 8th grade again. Cute, smart, redheaded... The guys at her school must all be morons.
I think its great. I felt so alone all through high school. I used to not even eat in the lunch room because of it.
Brilliant idea young lady. I hope it makes the impact you're aiming for.
Doubt she will have issues having anyone to sit with now, once the kids at school all find out she's made a million off an app
How about teaching the kid how not become a victim and how to defend when s**t hits the fan?
I love the idea. Natalie, thank you! There are lots of bullies at my school that bully our younger grades, so this is a great way for bullied kids to have a friend, which could possibly be more then a friend!
I like this idea, its great and all but it doesn't really solve the problem that they are being bullied.
The only think this...thing...is gonna help with is more bulling, and that's a 100% fact. Maybe the little girls heart was in the right place, but this is never gonna work....think about it, from the bullies perspective you're gonna be the same scrub sitting alone, and now you're just talking to a game to your phone like an idiot, you're definitely getting slapped if you did before. Just learn to deal and face your problems people, don't run away from them in a f****n' digital world.
Great App, do ADD Bully list+ blocker so people will be notified asap of assh*le on the loose...like Wanted posters of the wild wild west
Ahhhh bullies. Being jealous and trying to integrate with people who will prepare your bigmac in 10 years when you won't have time cooking in your mansion...
What a wonderful example to show empowerment not only for herself, the creator of this app, but also to share that empowerment with others. I'm very impressed and I appreciate your service to your fellow beings. Goodlife
What American public schools need are dinner supervisors to patrol the dining area to make sure that exclusion is curbed and that pupils can't be turned away from a table if there are spare spaces.
In French schools pupils sit at long tables at lunch and are expected to fill up the tables in order so the first few pupils in the lunch queue have to sit at the first table, fill it up from the far side and leave no gaps. That means no pupil can refuse to let another pupil sit next to them.
Bullied? I think she's cute. Must be USA where if you are a ginger or a straight white person you are a criminal cause you are born that way!
Patronising ....I am so sad I need an app to help people like me ? Not feeling it sorry
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