Joseph Arujo, Gen Z mental health activist, on Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, TikTok, and talking about mental health

On Topic, Off Script host, journalist Brian Mastroianni, sits down with LA-based mental health activist and content creator Joseph Arujo.

Joseph is a Gen Z Latinx mental health activist and content creator who reaches a community of more than 900,000 followers across TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. It was back during the COVID-19 lockdown when he built a big following on TikTok, getting up to 100,000 viewers every night who tuned in to him reading children’s stories. From there, he’s used his platform to raise awareness and bring more visibility to mental health resources and build a more inclusive community online. 

Currently in college, Joseph is on the Advisory Board for Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta. Born This Way Foundation's mission is to empower and inspire young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health, which is a big part of what Joseph sets out to do through his content.

He’s here to discuss Born this Way Foundation’s ⁠Be There Certificate⁠, a free, self-paced online course designed to increase mental health literacy and provide young people with the knowledge and skills to safely support anyone who might find themselves struggling with mental health. The Be There Certificate is also available in Spanish, which Joseph says is an important resource to reach native Spanish speakers. 

Also a Community Leader in the TikTok Diversity Collective, Joseph championed the ‘pronouns on profiles’ initiative on the platform. 

For this Mental Health Awareness Month, he’s here to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health, highlighting why it’s important to build inclusive, accepting spaces for young people online, and share advice for all of us in navigating conversations around mental health. 

Joseph's socials: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat

Born This Way Foundation: Website, Be There Certificate, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok

Music: The Right Direction by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠

Logo: ⁠⁠David J. Martin⁠⁠

For more info on host, journalist Brian Mastroianni:

⁠⁠brianmastroianni.com⁠⁠

IG: @bmastroianni