In a time where our culture seems to be waging an unseen war of who can shout the loudest, a reminder for students to take a moment to listen can be a revolutionary idea. As a volunteer on the lines and a mental health advocate with our work with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Dylan talks about continuously re-negotiating the idea of listening as a skill that takes persistent refining.

Dylan Gunaratne is a Television, Film & Media Studies major with a Minor in Communication Studies at Cal State Los Angeles and is currently interning at FOX in their Creative Services department. His passion for mental health awareness led to his involvement as a crisis line counselor at the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center and his work as President of Cal State LA's NAMI on campus chapter.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx