ELEM Digital
Digital Interventions
In today’s hyperconnected world, many teens seek comfort, advice, and connection online—especially when they feel isolated or unsure where to turn. ELEM Digital meets youth exactly where they are: on the internet. Many of these teens face social isolation, family conflict, and mental health challenges, yet cannot—or will not—seek help in person.
Since its launch in 2004, ELEM Digital has provided anonymous, accessible emotional support to at-risk Israeli youth through chat, forums, and social media outreach. The platform connects young people ages 12 to 26 with trained professionals and volunteers who offer real-time counseling and care across multiple digital platforms.
ELEM’s Digital Field is one of the only programs of its kind in Israel—recognized as a global leader in virtual therapeutic interventions. It provides nightly chat support, online outreach, and a virtual clinic for short- and medium-term treatment. The program identifies and responds to hardships teens experience in virtual spaces, including exposure to violence, harassment, and emotional distress.
ELEM Digital serves youth from all sectors of Israeli society, including Jewish, Arab, immigrant, and ultra-Orthodox populations.
Following the October 7th terror attack and the ongoing war, ELEM has seen a sharp increase in the number of youths exposed to violent content online and those experiencing symptoms of trauma and crisis. In response, staff were trained in new trauma-informed approaches, and chat hours were expanded to provide ongoing nightly care.
Between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2024, ELEM Digital conducted over 10,000 chat conversations with youth in distress. This included 5,001 chat interventions in Hebrew, 919 in Arabic, and more than 6,100 incoming chats—representing a threefold increase in outreach compared to 2022.
Many youths who reached out were displaced teens or IDF soldiers struggling with trauma, anxiety, or loneliness. For some soldiers, ELEM’s nightly chat became the only safe space to share their fears and emotional pain.
ELEM also provides online support for youth feeling guilt or helplessness about “smaller” personal struggles—such as school stress, loneliness, or family conflict—amid the wider national trauma.
What Happens at ELEM Digital
The program includes several key components that meet youth across a range of digital environments:
Virtual Counseling Rooms – One-on-one anonymous chats with professionals and volunteers trained to provide emotional support, crisis intervention, and referral to care
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Online Forums – Moderated group discussions that allow peer connection, guided reflection, and shared coping strategies
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24/7 Email and Phone Support – A confidential option for ongoing communication, available around the clock
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Social Media Outreach – Targeted engagement on TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp, where ELEM staff identify and assist youth expressing distress online
In 2024, ELEM handled 5,512 initial appeals from youth via chat and identified 5,279 youth in active crisis. The team also operated the only digital safe space for Ultra-Orthodox teen girls in Israel, offering general support and education on safe media practices.
ELEM’s Arabic-language service has expanded dramatically since the war began—quadrupling in volume with 844 Arabic-language chat conversations (up from a pre-war monthly average of 230). The service now operates five nights a week, providing culturally sensitive counseling with trained therapy professionals.
Reaching the Margins of Israeli Society
ELEM Digital bridges cultural and geographic divides, ensuring access to support for youth who might otherwise remain unseen. The program reaches:
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Immigrant youth, including French- and Russian-speaking populations
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Arab teens navigating identity, belonging, and cultural stigma
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Ultra-Orthodox girls with no other safe online outlet
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LGBTQ+ youth, minority groups, and at-risk young adults
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IDF soldiers and displaced youth coping with trauma
Since October 7, demand for support has soared: 87% of displaced youth report loneliness, depression, and anxiety, while 40% of Israeli youth have been exposed to harmful online content.
Through consistent engagement, ELEM has created an inclusive network of care across digital spaces—ensuring that no teen, regardless of background or belief, faces crisis alone.
Our Digital Reach
ELEM Digital’s content is widely recognized and trusted by youth nationwide.
Between 2023 and 2024, ELEM-produced videos across TikTok and Instagram reached more than 21 million views—including 7.3 million in Arabic—on topics such as anxiety, loneliness, post-war stress, and peer pressure.
Short videos on anxiety alone reached 750,000 views, while a post about loneliness and social isolation reached 840,000 views, and influencer collaborations reached 1.9 million viewers.
These videos not only offer comfort but also serve as an entry point for youth to reach out for professional help.
