( CNN ) Monica Lewinsky told an audience in Philadelphia on Monday that her new mission in life was to end cyberbullying . Her speech -- and her goal -- come as the former White House intern steps into the public eye after years of trying to live privately . `` Having survived myself , what I want to do now is help other victims of the shame game survive , too , '' she told the audience at Forbes ' 30 Under 30 summit . `` I want to put my suffering to good use and give purpose to my past . '' Lewinsky , who as an intern in 1995 had an affair with President Bill Clinton , said she was `` patient zero '' of online harassment . `` There was no Facebook , Twitter or Instagram back then , '' she said . `` But there were gossip , news and entertainment websites replete with comment sections and emails which could be forwarded . Of course , it was all done on the excruciatingly slow dial up . Yet around the world this story went . A viral phenomenon that , you could argue , was the first moment of truly 'social media ' . '' Lewinsky became emotional when describing the months after her 1998 scandal with the president , when national attention was fixed on her . `` Staring at the computer screen , I spent the day shouting : 'oh my god ! ' and ' I ca n't believe they put that in ' or 'That 's so out of context , ' '' she said . `` And those were the only thoughts that interrupted a relentless mantra in my head : ' I want to die . ' '' Lewinsky also recapped her affair with Clinton . `` Sixteen years ago , fresh out of college , a 22 year old intern in the White House -- and more than averagely romantic -- I fell in love with my boss in a 22-year old sort of way . It happens , '' Lewinsky said . `` But my boss was the president of the United States . That probably happens less often . Now I deeply regret it for many reasons , not the least of which is that people were hurt . And that is never okay . '' The former White House intern -- who since has received a masters from the London School of Economics and tried her hand as a purse designer -- said the affair was `` my everything . '' Lewinsky , however , struck a resilient tone , according to Forbes , and focused on what she wants to do going forward : End cyberbullying . The former White House intern has said in past interviews and essays that she feels a connection with people who have been caught up in online scandals that forever changed their lives . In a May Vanity Fair piece , where she discussed life after her affair with Clinton , Lewinsky cited the 2010 Tyler Clementi case as the reason she was going public with her cause . Clementi was a freshman at Rutgers who committed suicide after his roommate secretly used a webcam to stream his sexual encounter . `` My own suffering took on a different meaning , '' Lewinsky wrote about her reaction to the Clementi case . `` Perhaps by sharing my story , I reasoned , I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation . The question became : How do I find and give a purpose to my past ? '' In the piece , Lewinsky said her new goal was to `` get involved with efforts on behalf of victims of online humiliation and harassment and to start speaking on this topic in public forums . '' Lewinsky 's speech comes on the same day that she joined Twitter , a move that is just the latest step in Lewinsky 's re-entry into public life .
Monica Lewinsky said Monday that her new goal was to end cyberbullying . `` Having survived myself , what I want to do now is help other victims of the shame game survive , too . '' Lewinsky joined Twitter on Monday , too , a coordinated effort to step into public life once again . Lewinsky cited the 2010 Tyler Clementi case as the reason she was going public with her cause .