Weathering the Storm: Conversation with BBC Presenter Jennifer Bartram at The emPOWER Breakfast

The emPOWER Breakfast continues to grow as a space for honest conversation, shared experience and meaningful connection. This month, The emPOWER Breakfast were joined by the brilliant Jennifer Bartram for a powerful session that explored the emotional cost of public-facing work, the toll of online abuse, and the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up.

Jen has spent over two decades on screen as a journalist and weather presenter for the BBC, fronting live broadcasts across BBC One, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4, BBC 5 Live and the BBC World Service. She is an award-winning communicator and an accomplished coach who now works with others to build confidence in storytelling and presentation. But at the latest emPOWER event, it was Jen’s openness, warmth and honesty that truly left a mark.

She spoke candidly about her experience of being targeted with online abuse, shining a light on the darker side of visibility in digital spaces. As someone who has delivered trusted information into our homes for years, Jen’s reflections on the emotional impact of public scrutiny were eye-opening and deeply moving. She reminded us that resilience is not always loud or dramatic; often, it is the quiet decision to continue with integrity in the face of cruelty.

The conversation opened up broader themes around confidence and the importance of psychological well being in our industries, our teams and our online lives. Jen spoke of the value in learning how to communicate clearly and authentically, whether in front of a camera, in the boardroom or in daily interactions. Her work now centres on supporting others to do just that, drawing on her background as a lecturer, presenter and coach to equip people with the tools to tell their own stories with confidence.

There was a palpable sense in the room that Jen’s story resonated far beyond the specifics of her career. Attendees reflected in the Q&A on how we, as professionals and as people, can hold space for one another in times of challenge and create environments where care and communication are prioritised over performance.

The emPOWER Breakfast also discussed the alarming evidence to show that mobile phone and social media use is harmful for teens. Jen shared some stats and while these relate to young women and girls there is no data to prove that isn't the case across the board for everyone.

• ​There’s been a 78% increase in self harm in UK girls since 2010.
• ⁠A US study showed a 145% increase in depression in girls and 161% increase in boys since 2010.
• ⁠Many other studies show a similar increase in various mental illness during this time, which marked a major shift in how we use phones: smartphones introduced forward facing (selfie) cameras in 2010 (becoming so popular that the word “selfie” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013); and Facebook / Twitter introducing the concepts of “likes” and “retweets” around the same time. Adding a more intense dopamine hit and equally a crash.
• ⁠A 2021 City University investigation found that 90% women aged 18-30 use filters to edit their pictures on social media, reflecting widespread pressure to conform to idealised beauty standards. Circa 2025 we believe it will almost certainly be higher than that.
• ITV did a poll which found *1 in 5* 18-25 year olds have had fillers.

Jen also shared some strategies - it was less about limiting device use (although time outs on apps is a great way to manage an addiction) but concentrating on filling her IRL experience with friends and activities to ground in the real world. Another useful tip was to convert the preferences on your device to greyscale which takes out any triggers or subconscious prompts to check the phone! Which in turn reduces screen time and app overstimulation, helps reduce the dopamine reward loop on social media and it can also help with certain visual or cognitive sensitivities.

How to Enable Greyscale on iPhone Via Accessibility Setting

Open the Settings app - Tap Accessibility - Tap Display & Text Size - Scroll down and tap Colour Filters - Toggle Colour Filters ON - Select Greyscale

Your screen will now appear in black and white.

To Set a Shortcut to Toggle Greyscale Quickly

If you want to switch greyscale on/off easily, set up an accessibility shortcut:

Go to Settings - Accessibility - Scroll down and tap Accessibility Shortcut (at the bottom) - Select Colour Filters

Now, you can triple-click the side button (or Home button on older iPhones) to toggle greyscale mode instantly!

The emPOWER Breakfast team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined them for this session.