SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) Therapy for Every Budget: How to Access It: https://www.healthline.com/health/therapy-for-every-budget The GLBT National Help Center runs this website, which contains more than 15,000 GLBT resources and offers tools for users to find local community centers, youth groups and support resources. https://glbtnearme.org/ The National Institutes of Health’s Women and Mental Health index contains information, research and publications about women’s mental health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mentalhealth/index.shtml The Jed Foundation is an organization committed to the mental and emotional health of college students and preventing suicide among this population. The foundation runs several free online self-assessment and resource programs for students and campuses. It offers training tools for campus professionals to improve their mental health services for students http://www.jedfoundation.org/ The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is a national peer-led organization run by individuals with depression and bipolar disorder. It provides support groups, peer specialist training, wellness tools, research, podcasts, brochures, publications and information for clinicians. http://www.dbsalliance.org/ MindWise offers screenings for mental health concerns, providing military members and their families to take free, anonymous mental health or alcohol self-assessments. https://www.mindwise.org/screenings/ LAYOUT BY KRISHA KONCHADI
COVER PHOTO BY: SIMRAH AHMAD
HIDDEN TOPICS COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME HOW SOCIAL MEDIA POSITIVELY IMPACTS PEOPLE STUDENT-LED INITIATIVE EMPHASIZES INCREASING IDENTITY BIPOC REPRESENTATION
INTERNET CULTURE BLACK MIRROR’S NOSEDIVE: SATIRE DONE RIGHT HOW ARTISTS ARE INSTIGATING CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH THEIR ADVOCACY AND MUSIC A PASSION FOR FASHION
PODCAST CROSSING BORDERS CANCEL CULTURE
OPINION THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE WE ENOUGH FOR MEDIA? KEEPING IN TOUCH FINDING BALANCE
CREATIVE PIECES A SINGLE BLUE WAVE STRANGE WAYS BLINDED
MULTIMEDIA NAMI X CROSSROADS INITIATIVE DISCUSSION: TECHNOLOGY & MENTAL HEALTH WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE FOOD FOR THOUGHT BLOOM SILENT SUFFERERS
In a constantly evolving environment, it’s important to recognize the changes that come with mental health. It’s causes aren’t stagnant, they grow with the world around us. This edition explores the unique impact of social media in an increasingly digitized world. Technology is becoming a beacon for hope but it can also have detrimental consequences. It is important to find balance with everything we use, from social media to our virtual presence. With the way our society is progressing, technology definitely plays a large role in our everyday life. From social media, to online resources, technology has both a negative and positive impact on our mental health, and it’s important to recognize those effects in order to stay mentally well. In order for us to evolve with the pace of the future of technology, we must learn more about healthy ways to cope with these changes, as well as helping our peers along the way.
PHOTO BY: SIMRAH AHMAD LAYOUT BY KRISHA KONCHADI
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By: Joy Chen LAYOUT BY KRISHA KONCHADI
Irvine High School student, grade 12.
Portola High School student, grade 12.
Irvine High School student, grade 10.
Woodbridge High School student, grade 12.
University High School student, grade 12.
Portola High School student, grade 11.
student-led increasing BIPOC initiative emphasizes
representation story by: bia shok
TV shows, art and literature are all forms of expression individuals consume on a daily basis. While these forms of work provide solace and comfort, the lack of BIPOC representation has been disadvantaging individuals from not only developing diverse mindsets but also from finding their confidence and identity in media. Stories Empowered, a student-led initiative, uses the digital age’s full capacity to allow easy and rapid expression of ideas, as they work to increase identity representation in media using various forms. “Stories Empowered is about making sure that people of color especially aren’t limited to one specific narrative that the media is showing,” junior and co-founder Claudia Lin said. “A lot of the time, people of color are like ‘this is the only story I’ve seen’ or people will think that they have to settle with the stories being told about their culture, but Stories Empowered gives that opportunity for young high school students to tell their own stories that will hopefully resonate with other people.” With 25 members, the initiative works on three sectors which include Books of Hope, Uplift our Voices and Visual Perspectives. The separated projects touch on various parts of the media through different forms.
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“Without that representation, it’s harder for them to see role models in the media and it’s harder for them to picture themselves in the roles that art preset by media.” junior and co-founder Charlotte Cao said. “What we are trying to do is open up people’s minds and make them realize ‘yeah the society and media have told you you could only be pushed you into this one little outcall of jobs and everything but that’s not true, you have so much opportunity, you can tell your own stories, you could be who you wanna be without society pressuring you.” The team monthly brainstorms and works on new feature stories, podcasts and other projects while publicizing their work on their Instagram account @storiesempowered. They are also working to publish their website since the start of their team in August. “I like to focus on child development and how representation can impact like how a child views themself because I think that is so important to start these conversations early, to make sure that when they grow up they know that their capabilities are more than just what the media represents,” Lin said. “I always say this but even if we don’t reach as many people as we want, as long as we impact at least one child with a narrative that they see themselves after we represented them by, that’s all that matters to me.”
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JOY CHEN SIMRAH AHMAD
A recent study conducted by Eyesafe Nielson revealed after March of 2020, the average American’s screentime increased by approximately 60%. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, youth are spending prolonged hours in front of computer, phone and television screens. The result are vision-related problems―known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
Common CVS Symptoms
Common CVS Causes
Most of these symptoms are short-term and will disappear with breaks from screentime. However, if extreme screen times persist, these symptoms may worsen:
CVS can be caused by: • Digital screen glare • Poor seating posture (slouching) • Seating too close to screens • Already-present vision problems (farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia) • Poor lighting • Prolonged screentime
• Dry or red eyes • Aching neck and shoulders • Blurred vision • Frequent headaches • Eyestrains • Eye fatigue • Double vision
CVS Prevention Through various preventive measures, CVS can be avoided. • More blinking: Lack of blinking while utilizing screens is often contributes to getting CVS. Blinking more keeps the eye moist and prevents dry eyes. • Rest eyes frequently: To prevent eyestrain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. • Sit properly: Have good posture and position the computer screen slightly below eye level and approximately 25 inches away. • Using an anti-glare screen: Consider the amount of exposure to blue light your eyes receive. Use a screen glare filter to decrease the amount of light reflected off the screen and into your eyes.
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Article by: Hari Sreeramagiri Graphic by: Natalie Yu Although the new year has brought about a fresh start, teenagers across Irvine continue to struggle with the negative effects of social media. Whether it be causing teens to obsess over follower counts or compare themselves to unrealistic body standards, the negative effects of social media are starker than ever. This is an expected by-product of COVID-19, which gives youngsters more time in isolation with nothing to do, but browse the web and immerse themselves into the experiences of others. “Some days are better than others,” Northwood High School junior Ria Achuthan said. “It’s difficult to cope when you’re at home bored with nothing else to keep you company, but social media, and the unattainable standards it sets for you.” And the effects of social media do not just end there. Dozens of teenagers are finding themselves addicted to their electronics, unable to place them down to connect with their families in a healthy way or be productive. The Review of Ophthalmology magazine reports people ages 16 to 19, spend an average of five to seven hours a day on their phone. And the scariest part, is that they do not even realize it. “Seconds, minutes and sometimes hours can go by without you even noticing,” Northwood sophomore Nihar Abhyankar said. “It’s insane that we can spend the day unproductively without even realizing it until we look up from our phones.” The effects of internet usage are extremely harmful to young adults in particular. High screen time can result in a multitude of health conditions, including, but not limited to, severe mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, sleep issues and chronic neck and back pain. Experts suggest that spending our days in from of screens can affect mental and emotional wellbeing, even increasing in suicidal behaviors and lowering one’s ability to read emotions of others. False expectations of ourselves and feelings of isolation are difficult to overcome, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Going out for fresh air and some sunlight (with masks on) is the best way teenagers can treat themselves to a sort of escape that even social media can’t promise.
Article by: Diya Jain Photo by: Sophia Steinert As Western society becomes steadily technology based, the social media aspect of the digital age is starting to have a large, sometimes harmful, impact on the mental health of millions. This is the problem addressed in “Nosedive,” a popular episode of the British anthology series Black Mirror. The episode takes place in a dystopian society where all human interaction can be given a rating by the people involved, contributing to a composite ranking that determines a citizen’s ability to buy certain houses, enter their workplace or even stay out of jail. The implementation of the system expectedly leads to a surface level utopian society, in which people actively attempt to be nicer than everyone else in an effort to raise their rating. The concept is a clear criticism of a modern day hyperfixation on likes, retweets, and reviews that come with a social media dominated culture and it does so through social satire - by showing viewers a country based solely off a system comparable to Uber driver ratings, the creators of the episode hope to convey the absurdity and pressure that comes with having to maintain perfect composure at all times. “Nosedive” poses an important question: if we were forced to constantly act as perfect as we project ourselves to be on social media, what would that do to our mental health? The focus of the episode is on a girl named Lacie, who has a good, but not great, 4.2. Lacie needs a higher rating in order to be able to buy her house of choice, so when the perfect opportunity presents itself - being the maid of honor at the wedding of her old social media star friend from middle school - she does whatever it takes to follow through. Unfortunately, her small mishaps on the way to the wedding slowly add up, and soon the audience watches as Lacie’s rank drops to a dangerous low. Lacie’s slow but climatic breakdown as the episode progresses unravels the true pressure she carries with her throughout her day as a result of the weight of being forced to cater to everyone’s needs in fear that one day she may lose her job or home if anything goes awry. As viewers see the horrifying effects of the rating system on a relatively relatable protagonist, interesting parallels can be drawn between the dystopian society in “Nosedive” and the very real one that we experience every day. Although employment and housing isn’t determined by Instagram likes or Twitter retweets, the toxic relationship between shallow validation on the internet and self worth is clearly reflected in modern day America.
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How Artists are Instigating Conversation about Mental Health Through Their Advocacy and Music Written by: Krisha Konchadi The reason music is popular amongst the coming-of-age goers, is because artists create a realm that can connect to every part of anyone’s identity. From topics such as racial struggles to mental battles, a listener indulges in music that connects to their lives, memories, relationships and more. Artists such as Kanye West and Willow Smith have large fan bases for this very reason; their fans soulfully connect with the passion and pain in every guitar strum or lyric of their songs. Kanye West, father of 4 and spouse to Kim Kardashian, is an inspiration to many people because he represents his bipolar disorder to his fanbase as a “superpower” instead of a disability. Although he is raw about the true nature of the battles he faces with his disorder, his fight for talking about his challenges also decrease stigma surrounding his behaviours. “I also want to change the stigma of crazy and I want to change the stigma of mental health, and I have not done no extra study on it, at the beginning of it, at the beginning of a conversation,” West said in an interview with radio show host Lenard McKelvey (Charlamagne). “But best believe I’m gonna take the stigma off the word crazy. Let’s just say for now, people would take something that’s enlightened, put it in different contexts and then call it crazy to try to diminish the impact and the value of what I’m actually saying.” For a long time, Willow Smith has been expressing her mental health struggles and empowerment through different artistic approaches. Tyler Cole —Smith’s boyfriend —and Smith co-own a band called “The Anxiety.” Reminiscent of their name, they once created a temporary art exhibit that represented the 8 stages of anxiety inspired by their upcoming album together. Since her come to fame “Whip My Hair” single, Willow faced severe depression, self harm and identity loss at a young age. “I honestly felt like I was experiencing so much emotional pain but my physical circumstances weren’t reflecting that.” Smith said in an interview with TeenVogue. Songs from Cole and Smith’s album “The Anxiety” use distorted vocals with contrasting lofi-beats to represent the different feelings anxiety puts one through. Some of Smith’s personal songs such as “Female Energy pt.2” and “Overthinking IT” do not explicitly talk about mental health, but more of a mental development and navigation.
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Written by: Joy Chen Photo by: Simrah Ahmad
@rahansrhythm on instagram
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social media
hate
fashion
singing
positivity
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With nearly 180,000 followers on Tiktok and almost 50,000 followers on Instagram, Rahan Alemi shares her passion for fashion, religion and culture through her authentic, engaging posts. Alemi first delved into social media her sophomore year of high school, when she began posting singing videos. Eventually, she started exploring the intersection between social media and fashion, fostering her interest through sponsorships and collaborations. While Alemi’s content has largely garnered a positive response, she has learnt to deal with negative comments. “Whenever I receive hate, I try to block out the negativity and not let it affect me,” Alemi said. “I always try to deal with it with a good attitude [and] stay grateful for everything I have. I try to focus on positivity and remember my purpose of having a social media account, which is to do what I love.” With such a large following, Alemi has also come face-to-face with the pressure to use her platform to share opinions about current events. “Sometimes, you may feel pressure to say something about [the events], but you also [question] if you should say something,” Alemi said. “There might be backlash. It really depends on the situation and what you want to associate yourself with.” Because of the challenges that come with being a social media influencer, Alemi emphasizes the importance of having healthy mental health habits whilst using social media. “Only get into social media if you are mentally stable,” Alemi said. “It may be really good or really bad for you. Know what you are getting into, as social media is so broad and anyone has access to it.”
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ARE WE ENOUGH FOR THE MEDIA? Article by: Risha Koparde Graphics by: Manasi Narsina & Lindsey Ko From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Peter Pan, it is apparent that the lack of proper representation is an underlying theme in most movies. Now, you may be wondering why this presents itself as an issue. The reason for the concern of lack of representation is not only the diversity in America, but also the effect of the media on younger audiences. According to Nancy Wang Yuren, the author of Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism, explains that a “ study found that nonverbal racial biases in facial expressions and body language, as represented on popular television shows, influence white viewers’ racial biases. Furthermore, a lack of contact between racial groups can lead to greater reliance on media stereotypes when formulating ideas about people outside one’s race.” Besides being a controversial topic in itself, media representation leads to mental health issues for minorities. Groups living in America may believe they aren’t pretty enough, skinny enough, and tall enough. They think they are just not enough to fit into that small margin of stereotypes for a group.
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They might think their skin is too dark. Their eyes are too small. Their nose is too big. Their hair is too curly. They might think they need to run from the police, eat curry for every meal, or speak with a strong accent. This all introduces repercussions for any audience young or old. With the current isolated state of the world, more and more people are turning to technology to satisfy boredom and get work done; the newfound desire for a higher screen time especially for younger children, adds to the problems mentioned previously. People are being exposed to media representation more because of quarantine which, in turn, raises an extensive amount of self-image issues that align with the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph. Luckily, the recent months have shed light on the lack of representation in the media, specifically for African Americans. The ongoing Black Lives Matter Movement has brought up a controversial topic that is portrayed often in the media. The topic is not only being conveyed in real life, but on the screen as well. Movies like “13th” are rising to popularity and we have been able to see actors portraying their race instead of having a stereotypical version created by racism. Although society has a long way to go for the representation of race and culture to improve, you as an individual can make your own choices and contribute to the growing numbers supporting the cause.
keeping in
TOU Article by: Sophia Rodriguez Photo by: Kriti Jain
Contrary to popular belief, broadcast media and social media can have positive influences on mental health and emotional well-being. With two sides to social media, the downside of social media has been documented in multiples of studies. Although the potential downsides to social media are numerous, how you use it can determine the outcome. The many positive impacts social media has on its users are what the negative results tend to miss. For some, social media can ease isolation and loneliness. Social media provides the ability to interact with others and provides ample privacy to allow individuals with mental illness to express themselves without exposing their identities. Without the danger of judgement, it encourages self-expression. During these socially distanced times, you might find yourself indulging in broadcast media, maybe watching a favorite movie of yours more than once.
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UCH Anxiety and insecurity can make us crave the feeling of predictability so by watching a particular movie you enjoy can provide a sense of security. According to psychologist Pamela Ruteledge, rewatching a movie or show you really enjoy can be a simple way of controlling your emotions when your entire world feels out of control. “It can become really therapeutic, especially if you are feeling anxious,” Ruteledge said. “Watching the same piece multiple times reaffirms that there’s order in the world and that it can create a sense of safety and comfort on a primal level.” How you intend to use social media can determine the impact it will have on your mental health. By engaging and reconnecting with others, we can expand and strengthen our mental health. Just as simple as a movie can cause comfort to those who need it. Without the danger of stigma, forms of media have allowed self expression and comfort to those in need.
FINDING
BALANCE how to reduce screentime Article by : Sreenidh Dhurjati Photo By : Theresa Le
As we move into the 10th month of quarantine, it is important to find the balance between technology use and daily life. With students finding themselves more and more dependent on their phones and computers to stay in contact with their friends, sometimes it feels like living without our handheld digital devices is impossible. Although it may seem that way, there are numerous ways we can learn to live without heavily depending on our phones. For one, keeping your notifications to a minimum is a great way to reduce distractions coming from your phone or computer. For example, turning off notifications for social media can help you not constantly checking your phone to respond to messages. Instead, checking all of your notifications at once at a set time in the day is much more efficient. Additionally, social media as a whole can be a very addicting appication. To combat this, many are starting to turn off their social media accounts to escape its addictiveness. Moreover, set times (if you’re on iOS, Screen Time is a great feaLAYOUT BY LINDSEY KO
ture to take advantage of) in the night where you shut off all electronic devices and head to sleep. Many of those who struggle with a technology addiction have unhealthy sleep schedules that negatively affect every other aspect of their life. By shutting off devices in the night, one can have better, healthier and longer sleep. Additionally, try physical alternatives to technological tools. For example, try using a traditional alarm clock rather than your phone’s digital alarm. Furthermore, attempt using a physical notepad rather than your phone’s digital notepad. By switching from digital to physical, one can develop less dependency on their phones and develop good habits helpful for the rest of their life. Ultimately, it is very important to find a balance between technology use and physical life so that one does not become too dependent on their digital devices. By shutting off our phones and computers, we can find ourselves living a happier, healthier and more enjoyable life.
Article by: Annie Pei Graphics by: Manasi Narsina COVID-19 forced us all to prioritize safety above our previous priority: school. Going to school and off-line learning has become inaccessible to most students across the country. Although we still see the familiar faces of teachers and peers, the thin screen of our laptop can serve as a mountainous barrier to effective learning. The possibility of lagging or some other technological accident while speaking forces us to mute the ideas in our head. The closed camera and muted microphones provide too much freedom, driving students away from the lesson itself. “The connection is horrible.” “I can’t focus.” “I’m not learning anything.” These complaints dominate our daily conversations with friends, and the frustration from online classes often turns into blaming our teachers. It is easy to accuse teachers to be responsible for our lack of motivation and focus in class. Some teachers spend ten if not even twenty minutes setting up a meeting, and many are have difficulty navigating with Zoom’s features such as screen sharing or breakout rooms. While some teachers have found solutions to a missing whiteboard, others might be solely relying on lectures. All these inconveniences and changes decrease the quality in our learning. Teachers, however, should not be blamed. Most schools already require students to turn on their cameras, but the vast majority still chooses to silence their microphones. Before COVID, teachers were begging us to talk less in class, but now, they are begging us to say something through the screen. This lack of participation and feedback can be extremely discouraging to teachers. Without student participation, teachers are not aware when students are struggling with a certain concept. For subjects like English where class discussions are the basis of the course, it is extremely difficult for teachers to conduct quality teaching if students refuse to even speak. Despite their lack of knowledge in technologies, most teachers have become accustomed to using a blank white screen as a ‘virtual whiteboard.’ If teachers can adjust for us, we should attempt to do the same.
The transition to online classes has imposed difficulty to all. WithLAYOUT out the classroom setting, it is normal to lose focus and motivation; no one is going through these challenges alone. Students, however, should recognize and appreciate teachers’ adjustments and attempts for a smoother transition for us.
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Bloom by Shailee Sankhala, Grace Shao, Peter Pan
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The story highlights a young girl’s journey of her mental health described through a garden.
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When I Was Your Age by Cecilia Mou, Ryne Dunman
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When I Was Your Age focuses on the influences of culture on mental health, and the possible continuities throughout one’s life.
Food for Thought by Alex Guo, Alice Chiang, Sanay Saboo
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An Instagram-obsessed boy forgets to post a picture of his meal // TW: Brief Depictions of ED Behavior
Silent Sufferers by Krisha Konchadi
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A girl internally suffers in a field of flowers and faces the consequences of being neglected and ignored of her mental problems. // TW: Mentions of Suicide
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KRISHA KONCHADI ALEJANDRA GUIO PEREZ LINDSEY KO SAFAH FARAZ
JOY CHEN BIA SHOK KRISHA KONCHADI DIYA JAIN HARI SREERAMAGIRI RISHA KAPORDE SOPHIA RODRIGUEZ ANNIE PEI SREENIDH DHURJATI
SAACHI RAJU SHAILEE SANKHALA AKANKSH DIVYANANDA SAOUD MOON
SIMRAH AHMAD SOPHIA STEINERT THERESA LE KRITI JAIN
KRISHA KONCHADI NATALIE YU MANASI NARSINA
GRACE SHAO SHAILEE SANKHALA CECILIA MOU PETER PAN ALEX GUO ALICE CHIANG SANAY SABOO KRISHA KONCHADI RYNE DUNMAN