CONTENTS About Us ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Are we Manipulated by Marketers? ............................................................................................................... 4-7 Anjeli de Blank, Year 12, Gellhorn Online Learning During Covid-19 ................................................................................................................ 8-11 Kylie Chan, Year 12, Anderson Does Sherlock Holmes Need Therapy? .................................................................................................... 12-15 Alysha Wong, Year 12, Keller Does Social Media Make Us Lonelier? ...................................................................................................... 16-21 Warren Zhu, Year 12, Churchill How Nature and Nurture Create a Dictator .......................................................................................... 22-25 Natalie Tse, Year 12, Keller Is it Ethical to use Psychological Tactics to Benefit the Economy? .............................................. 26-27 Sabrina Yeung, Year 12, Keller The Misunderstanding Called ‘ADHD’ .................................................................................................... 28-31 Sophie Hunka, Year 13, Gellhorn The Portrayal of Eating Disorders in Film ............................................................................................ 32-34 Ellie Ip, Year 12, Keller The Psychology Behind Tobacco Addiction ........................................................................................ 35-37 Jamie Man, Year 12, Churchill The Psychology of Human Perfection .................................................................................................... 38-42 Joshua Yen, Year 12, Shaftesbury What are the Major Causes of Insecurity in People's Lives? ........................................................... 43-46 Coco Sun, Year 12, Gellhorn Citations .............................................................................................................................................................. 47-49 Contributors ...................................................................................................................................................... 50-51
Issue 1 | 2
ABOUT US ABOUT THE PSYCH PERSPECTIVE: The Psych Perspective is a brand new publication based society that showcases student-written material on a variety of psychological topics. The Psych Perspective was created to give pupils the opportunity to explore the fascinating world of psychology and delve deeper into the study of the mind and human behaviour. Students are able to write about anything that piques their interest, whether it be analyzing a fictional book character or exploring the more relevant issue of Covid-19 and its impact on mental health. We hope you enjoy reading the following articles and appreciate the captivating stories and thoughtprovoking questions raised throughout the issue. MESSAGES: "It has been an invigorating experience creating the first ever issue of the Psych Perspective. I wanted to start this publication to give students a chance to expand their intellectual curiosity and discover new theories and explanations of human behaviour. The Psych Perspective has given pupils a platform to share their stories and raise awareness on current issues around the world, especially those who are interested in psychology but do not study it as an A-Level. It has been such a wonderful opportunity to get to work with a variety of authors, editors and illustrators and to watch one idea grow into a collaboration of compelling articles and creative artwork." — Anjeli de Blank, Founder
"I am thrilled and excited to introduce the first edition of the Psychology Harrovian at Harrow, HK. My congratulations go to all the writers, editors and illustrators for their creativity, hard work and dedication towards this publication. Everyone uses Psychology on a daily basis and understanding the way your mind works helps in everyday life by allowing you to build stronger relationships and make the best decisions. People are fascinating creatures and are so diverse. These articles will give you an insight into why people behave the way they do, how personality forms and how factors like society and culture impact one’s behaviour. You might find yourself gaining a deeper understanding of the many influences that have impacted your own life. This publication is underpinned by curiosity and passion, it is a journey that these pupils have taken towards engaging with the human psyche. I hope you enjoy reading the articles and the illustrations to go with it as much as I have." — Mrs. Sharin Sikka, Academic Supervisor
"I am grateful for this opportunity to take part in organising the visual aspect of the Psych Perspective's first issue. Illustrators have had the opportunity to create illustrations based on their own interpretations of the writers' articles. Through being part of the Psych Perspective, I hope many students will be able to express their interests and passions creatively while engaging with thought-provoking psychological topics." — Se Lyn Lim, Art Director
Issue 1 | 3
ARE WE MANIPULATED BY MARKETERS? An Insight Into how Psychology can be Used to Influence Consumer Behaviour. Anjeli de Blank, Year 12, Gellhorn It has been estimated that we make approximately
This
35,000 conscious decisions every day. But do we
straightforward choice, like choosing which cereal
really have control over these decisions? When in
to buy at the supermarket based on which has the
a store, how do we choose between two seemingly
least sugar; however, sometimes our problems
identical products, and how much of this decision
can get extremely complicated and intricate that
actually
is
we need to take a shortcut. Luckily, our brains are
surprisingly less than you think as our decision
naturally wired to reduce this complexity by using
making is heavily influenced by the strategies and
mental
psychological
marketers.
introduced in 1950 by cognitive psychologist
Economics and psychology have always been
Herbert Simon, heuristics were proposed as a way
interlinked: new advances in psychology can
to reduce the complexity of computational tasks.
fruitfully
and
When making rational choices, human judgment
developments in economic theory can have
is often subject to cognitive limitations, making it
implications for psychology too. The field of
impossible
behavioural
at
heuristics allow us to effectively make decisions.
theories of decision making by analysing the
There are both benefits and disadvantages of
psychological
heuristics:
lies
behaviour.
in
our
hands?
tactics
be
used
applied
to
economics factors
The
answer
by
economics
specifically that
Marketers
looks
influence
be
useful
shortcuts
to
called
weigh
while
when
up
they
you
have
heuristics.
all
can
First
alternatives,
free
limited
resources,
they
economists or psychologists, but for years they
irrational
decisions
when
have inconspicuously been using these theories to
information, like buying a bad product. In this
impact consumer decisions and further improve
article, I will discuss the three main heuristics:
their sales.
anchoring, availability, and representativeness.
When making a decision, we form opinions and
Anchoring is the tendency to rely more heavily
choose actions via mental processes which are
on the first piece of information learned when
influenced
by
biases,
making a choice, even if it's not the most relevant.
emotions,
and
many
In a series of seven studies, Klein and O’Brien
memories.
experiences, There
are
people
miss
could
lead
to
critical
decision-making strategies that we unconsciously
investigated
use when making choices, for example, the single-
anticipate how much information they use when
feature model where we base our decisions solely
making decisions, and consistently found that
on one factor, ignoring all other influences.
people made judgments significantly quicker than
Issue 1 | 4
whether
we
also
so
cognitive
past
can
up
a
behavioural
our
aren’t
human
may
correctly
expected. In their first study, participants were
Companies may also use the availability heuristic
shown forty pieces of art and were told to stop
to manipulate their customers by promoting
when they decided if they liked or disliked the
exclusivity and boost their self-esteem. In 1943,
general style of the art. Predictors estimated they
Abraham Maslow proposed a hierarchy of needs
would need to see a mean of 16.29 paintings, but
which puts forward that individual behaviour is
in reality, they only needed 3.48. This data shows
influenced by five categories, one being self-
that
an
esteem. Maslow classified esteem needs, the
the
fourth level, into esteem for oneself and desire for
anchoring heuristic. So how can this be applied to
respect. From a marketing perspective, people
consumer behaviour? If a company starts by
want to feel important and exclusive when using a
introducing a higher-priced model first, then the
product or service. By painting a picture of
lower-priced model will look like a better deal in
prestige and reputation when using a product, like
comparison, as customers will weigh all the other
in an advertisement when the model gains a
prices up against the first price. For example,
newfound sense of confidence immediately after
magazines can use anchoring by placing the most
spraying an expensive perfume, shoppers are
expensive subscription first, therefore you're
inclined
prone
as
representations, and in turn, may overestimate
significantly cheaper and are more likely to
the likelihood of similar things happening to
purchase it.
themselves.
The availability heuristic is the tendency to
Finally,
estimate the likelihood of an event based on how
tendency to ignore statistics and focus instead on
readily examples come to mind. When making a
stereotypes. In simple terms, this heuristic is a
decision, the past experiences and events that you
means to assess the probability that element X
immediately
belongs to class Y, and evaluating the probability
information
exponential
to
aggregation
function,
see
the
think
as
suggested
second
about
mimics by
subscription
can
alter
your
to
give
the
the
greater
credence
representative
degree
heuristic
is
similar may happen again as a result of your
representative
choice. Companies often use this heuristic as it
groundbreaking psychologists, Daniel Kahneman
allows for a positive association to be created
and Amos Tversky, carried out extensive research
between their product and the enticing outcome
into the biases in rationality exhibited in human
that may be achieved. Marketers frequently give
decision-making.
examples of the results from using their products
investigating
so that customers can imagine their life if they
showed exactly how people’s judgment is affected
buy them. Look at the case of lottery tickets:
by ignoring probabilities. Participants were given
retailers promote the image of winning and all the
personality descriptions of several randomly
benefits that come with winning, rather than the
sampled engineers and lawyers. They were then
much more likely outcome of losing. Therefore,
asked
when deciding if you should buy a ticket or not,
description belonged to an engineer rather than a
the depiction of winning readily springs to mind,
lawyer.
making you more likely to purchase a ticket.
participants were told the sample consisted of
In
the
assess the
or
similar
One
element
the
by
of,
which
these
judgement by making you believe something
to
to
to
to,
the first
Y.
particular
representativeness
probability experimental
X
is
Two
study heuristic
that
each
condition,
Issue 1 | 5
ARTWORK BY CALLUM SANDERS, YEAR 10, SHAFTESBURY
Issue 1 | 6
seventy engineers and thirty lawyers, and in the
Although
second condition, thirty engineers and seventy
complexity of decision-making, they often lead to
lawyers. One would suspect that the majority
severe and systematic errors. The theory of
would guess 0.7 in the first condition and 0.3 in
psychological hedonism can also be brought in
the second, but Kahneman and Tversky found
which claims that our behaviour is determined by
that almost all participants ignored the given
desires to increase pleasure and decrease pain.
probabilities, and instead gave estimates by the
Kahneman and Tversky argued that a person’s
degree to which it was representative of their own
prediction of hedonic impact can often be wrong,
stereotypes
two
even if something similar happened previously in
professions. Marketers can use this to influence
their lives as the availability heuristic suggests.
consumer behaviour when designing packaging.
Having incorrect hedonic expectations of an
By making a product fall under a stereotype that
event, just like imagining the extremely slim
is widely preferred in the population, customers
chance of winning the lottery, will evidently result
are more likely to purchase it as they believe it is
in a misguided choice. Such is the case with
similar to well-established products. Bellizzi and
anchoring and representative heuristics as they
colleagues
too lead to misguided choices.
and
mental
obtained
models
perceptions
of
of
the
national
they
are
useful
in
reducing
the
(prominent and established products), private label (products sold by a retailer with its own
So, the next time you are about to make a
packing, but manufactured by a third party), and
purchase, consider how psychological factors can
generic brands through a series of surveys.
influence
Participants congruously rated the private label
cunningly they can be manipulated by marketers.
brands below the national brands when it came to
Research all the products available to you and
appearance
and
don’t fall prey to false promises, you might just
companies
often
attractiveness. replicate
the
This
is
why
packaging
of
your
economic
choices,
and
how
save yourself from making a bad decision.
prominent brands so that you stereotype their product as similar to those of the prestigious brand. In conclusion, although heuristics can be very effective and efficient when making judgements, marketers can easily manipulate them and it is apparent that this can lead to bad decisionmaking. Heuristics also often come with many limitations and biases. Kahneman and Tversky focused their research on when heuristics lead us astray as we often use them when making judgements under uncertainty. But how can one assess the probability of an uncertain event, estimate the value of an uncertain quantity, or decide which product to buy by simply using a heuristic?
Issue 1 | 7
ONLINE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 Kylie Chan, Year 12, Anderson Amidst
Covid-19,
we
often
find
ourselves
The use of online platforms such as Zoom has
confined to the small spaces we have at home.
drastically increased, especially in school settings.
Everything has been digitalised, from online
This has had a detrimental effect on the majority
lessons to fundraising events. Although the idea of
of the population, most significantly on mental
staying in bed all day on our laptops and phones
health.
is tempting, this could prove detrimental not only
communication of nonverbal body language (e.g.
to our mental health but also to our physical
mannerisms,
health. Laptop screens emit blue light, which can
something that could trigger around 7% of the
significantly affect the quality of sleep, especially
population who have a social anxiety disorder.
Online
learning
gestures)
makes
harder
to
the
interpret,
when used before bedtime, often leading to sleep deprivation. This could, in turn, have other
It is also widely agreed that online lessons have
consequences such as a shorter attention span and
been detrimental to our learning. Without the
reduced focus, as well as negatively impacting
presence of others and the lack of a classroom
healthy growth in children and adolescents.
setting, students often feel demotivated to work hard and focus on their studies. Although we have
Experts suggest that excessive screen time could
swiftly returned to face-to-face lessons, zoom
also result in difficulty reading emotions and
lessons still remain a big part of our lives. Below
increased suicidal behaviour. Furthermore, a
are some helpful tips that may improve your
study by the United States National Institute of
online learning experience:
Health revealed that children who spent more than two hours a day on electronic devices
Firstly, use the chat feature on Zoom to ask
generally scored lower on thinking and language
questions. Asking questions in an online setting
tests.
may be daunting for some students, especially if they may normally be reluctant to raise their
According
of
hand during normal lessons. Using the chat
Paediatrics, no more than two hours of screen
function allows you to privately ask questions
time daily is recommended for teenagers and
without letting other students know.
adults,
to
while
the
American
absolutely
no
Academy
screen
time
is
recommended for kids under the age of two;
Secondly, email your teachers. If using the chat
however, the challenges brought about by the
function may still be too daunting for you, don’t
Covid-19 Pandemic have made this increasingly
be afraid to email your teacher for a private
difficult.
online call. Often you will receive valuable
Issue 1 | 8
feedback
from
private
However, regulating screen time usage may prove
individualized
challenging for many as much of our schoolwork
instruction. However, make sure that you remain
has been digitalized and has remained this way
polite and respectful if your teacher refuses.
even after we have returned to normal lessons. If
conversation
your
teacher
would
as
allow
a
you often find yourself staring at your laptop Choose your breakout room partners may also
screen for hours on end and have difficulty in
have a positive impact on your online learning
regulating a healthy screen-time schedule, below
experience.
are some tips that may help:
It
is
common
knowledge
that
breakout rooms are often unproductive and awkward. Asking your teacher to let you choose
The Pomodoro Technique
your breakout room partners would make group
This time management technique calls for 25
work
enjoyable
minutes of focused study sessions, separated by 5
phobias.
minutes of break. For every four sessions of
especially
focused study sessions, a longer 20-30 minute
a
much
easier
experience
by
Increased
social
and
reducing
more
any
social
interaction
is
important during these difficult times.
break. Similarly, breaks should be as screen-free as
Furthermore,
make
breaks
is
also
function. This is especially useful for courses or
involves high-level cognitive processing, showing
subjects that require a visual component, such as
how taking short but regular breaks is vital for
art.
healthy mental growth.
screen
the
regular
beneficial from your prefrontal cortex which
your
of
Taking
share-screen
Sharing
use
possible.
would
make
communication and collaboration much easier. An example of this would be sharing a video clip
Take Active Breaks
you have created.
As said above, taking breaks is a necessity. The important factor is to make sure that your study
Many might also choose to form a Zoom study
breaks are active and off-screen. This could range
group. People have different studying methods:
from taking a quick walk around the house to
some prefer to study individually while others
making yourself a cup of coffee.
find collaborative studying more effective. If you find yourself working better as a group, it might
Incorporate Screen Free Studying
be a good initiative to start a Zoom study group.
Try to incorporate as many physical forms of
You could also use zoom recreationally as a way
study as possible. Some examples of this would be
to stay connected with your friends by playing
purchasing physical copies of textbooks, printing
online games together or just hanging out.
out study material or opting for a pen and paper approach to taking notes rather than typing.
Finally, take advantage of the online setting! One
Similarly to creating Zoom study groups, you
major positive of online learning is that most, if
could match up screen-free study schedules with
not all, of your learning resources, are available
your friends and classmates through a voice call.
on your Google Classroom. This would allow for
This may be advantageous as your friends and
easier revision and it would be wise to use this to
classmates
your advantage.
encourage you to stay screen-free.
can
keep
you
accountable
and
Issue 1 | 9
Do Regular Exercise t is important to incorporate at least 30 minutes of daily exercise into your routine. Not only does exercise serve as a method of reducing screen time, but it is also extremely beneficial for your physical and mental health, and it helps you concentrate and focus better in class. This is because
exercise
releases
chemicals
like
endorphins and serotonin, which can significantly improve your mood, along with helping your muscles
to
relax
so
you
can
work
more
effectively. Separate your Work and Sleep Space Although working in the comfort of your bed is tempting, it is extremely detrimental to your quality of sleep as it triggers the brain to associate your sleeping and working space as one. Screens also emit blue light, which in turn blocks the release of melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. This means you would feel more alert when falling asleep and might find trouble doing so, hence decreasing your quality of sleep. Incorporating and sustaining a healthy schedule during
this
extremely
strenuous important
time albeit
in
our
rather
lives
is
difficult.
However, with the right mindset and positive attitude, it is possible to regain an enthusiastic attitude
towards
our
learning
maintaining active and healthy lives.
Issue 1 | 10
as
well
as
ARTWORK BY CAROL YEUNG, YEAR 11, KELLER
Issue 1 | 11
DOES SHERLOCK HOLMES NEED THERAPY? Alysha Wong, Year 12, Keller Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle over one
certainly is the most concentrated example of
hundred years ago, fictional private detective
deception. A bolder example of his deception was
Sherlock Holmes rose to fame and became the
when he faked his own death for two years in the
most portrayed literary human figure in film and
last episode of Season Two, after being threatened
television history. A significant part of why his
by his eternal nemesis, Moriaty, to jump down the
character is so engrossing owes to his eccentric
roof or both Watson and Mrs Hudson, their
personality: who knew a recipe for a crime-
housekeeper, would be shot. After a series of
solving protagonist would be a cocaine-user with
events, Sherlock has no choice but to leap to his
numerous arrests and legal involvements?
death—or so it seems. The camera pans to Watson racing towards his body, then his visiting of
Before proceeding to answer the question at hand,
Sherlock’s grave. He weeps, “Don’t be dead.” This
we must first remind ourselves that he is a
long was followed immediately by focusing on a
fictional character, and naturally, each element of
tall mysterious figure watching Watson from afar:
his personality would have been attentively
it’s Sherlock, with a mischievous grin on his face.
designed by the author. It is therefore impossible —despite the convincing writing of Sir Arthur
Let’s examine the end scene: it is evident Sherlock
Conan Doyle—to fully analyse Holmes as a fully-
took pleasure in knowing he fooled Watson. Many
functioning person. The focus of this article is on
fans and critics have used this specific scene as
the BBC television adaptation.
evidence for their “diagnosis” of Sherlock as a high-functioning sociopath. Indeed, it is highly
Psychopathy, Sociopath, Or Neither?
unusual to smile at the sight of a mourning friend;
The most frequently associated traits with this
however, a mere expression is insufficient to
character are sociopathy and psychopathy, often
diagnose him. It would be reductionist and
referred to as Antisocial Personality Disorder.
inaccurate to analyse a person based on one
Watchers of the show may agree that Holmes
expression.
displays
a
handful
of
psychopathic
traits:
coldness, narcissism, disinterest…
One of the most famous to have come out of the show is Holmes’ quote, “I’m not psychopath, I’m a
The most significant way in which Holmes
high-functioning sociopath. Do your research!”
obtains his evidence to draw accurate conclusions
Holmes himself believes he has an antisocial
is through successful deception. Although not the
personality disorder who lacks understanding of
first example of this habit, the episode The Lying
social norms. While he certainly is eccentric,
Detective, as the title suggests,
would that point to such a daring diagnosis?
Issue 1 | 12
Interestingly enough, neuroscientist James Fallon
Even
believes the opposite: Holmes is not a sociopath,
psychopaths
but
psychopath,
emotionless and manipulative, because they are
specifically. A primary psychopath lacks empathy
such vital aspects to these conditions, they can be
and doesn’t respond to external stimuli like fear
confidently ruled out.
a
psychopath-
a
primary
though
there
are
and
more
sociopaths
qualities than
to
being
and disapproval, and is often genetic. Asperger’s Syndrome Much like all forms of representation, issues arise
Sharp, observant, witty… The BBC adaptors have
when portraying mental illness. Researchers have
added
actually found that our exposures to fictional
Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to the list of Holmes’
depictions of psychopaths impacted our notions
traits. Some argue that his crime-solving pursuits,
about
social
that often take up most of his days and nights,
responsibility television has—the romanticism of
leading to the dismissal of basic necessities like
psychopathic
Holmes—may
food and sleep, point to the same “overwhelming
lead to further change in social attitudes towards
excitement” that those who suffer from ASD
them, from demonised to heroic. The shift of
describe.
them.
This
heightens
protagonists,
like
the
“Asperger’s”,
also
known
as
Autism
psychopathic traits from manipulative to “adept”, from unempathetic to “rational” is a dangerous
Those who have ASD also describe reduced
one. Many agree that psychopathy and sociopathy
interest in forming friendships and trouble with
should not be taboo or idealised, but rather
elements of social interactions like eye contact
known for what it truly is: a form of mental
and nonverbal expressions. Whilst it is undeniable
illness.
that Holmes identifies with the former, it is difficult to tell with the latter, as he may not
It seems likely that Holmes is neither a sociopath
necessarily have “trouble” with it. Oftentimes it
or a psychopath. Deceit is one of Holmes’ more
comes off as him not caring enough to make an
prominent traits; however, in every situation
impression, feeding back to the “reduced interest”
there is a good reason for it: to solve his crimes, to
trait.
save lives, or both. Thus, deceit and manipulation not for the purpose of personal gain should be
There are issues with psychiatric labels of Autism,
discounted. Fallon also points out that primary
which may perpetuate inaccurate and harmful
psychopaths do not feel emotion, although they
representations in mainstream media. Exploring
may mimic them. This is a strong indication that
Holmes as a character who may display traits of
Holmes cannot be a psychopath, as he shows signs
ASD is different from clearly labelling him as
of emotion even when alone, with no one
such,
watching. Yes, his demonstrations of emotion
entertainment
differ drastically from his partner’s, but there are
characters with autism sparks debate: we can see
a few clear instances that reveal his emotional
how representation in mainstream television is
side: at the end of Season One, when Watson,
absolutely
initially strapped to a bomb by Morarity, was
community; however, we must be cautious not to
finally freed, Holmes rips the bomb of him,
mislabel or allow the character to be limited to
repeatedly yelling frantically “Are you alright?”
only the labelled “traits” of the condition. One can
especially
since
over
crucial
television
education.
for
a
more
values
Portraying
accepting
Issue 1 | 13
ARTWORK BY SE LYN LIM, YEAR 12, WU
Issue 1 | 14
see the problem with adding ASD to Holmes’
We also seldom see Holmes doing exercise except
characteristics as a plot device. In some ways, this
for when he’s chasing his suspects down, so
distinction promotes unhealthy stereotypes of the
implementing a regular schedule would further
antisocial genius.
benefit his wellbeing.
Bipolar Disorder
In conclusion, there are a plethora of ways to treat
Holmes’
swings
between
hypomania
and
these illnesses, and as psychological findings
depression point to a very probable diagnosis of
advance and new treatments arise, representation
bipolar disorder. His oscillation of energy levels
of mental illnesses in mainstream media should
seem to stem from his crime-solving: when he
strive for accuracy: this can be executed through
worked, he was frenetic; when he did not, he was
not only using the textbook, trademark symptoms
idle.
that the internet provides, but also through conducting primary research with case studies
Those who suffer from bipolar disorder could
who suffer from the illness. It is great that mental
greatly benefit from various forms of therapy.
illnesses are gaining more representation, and
Whilst more general therapy types such as CBT
hopefully it can be a way to attract the masses to
are
from
reading about psychology. To answer the question
interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, geared
at hand, though, “Does Sherlock Holmes Need
more towards coping with bipolar disorder. This
Therapy”, the answer is probably not. He is a
form
stubborn individual who seems to have little
available,
of
Holmes
therapy
psychoeducation,
could
consists
social
benefit
of
rhythm
3
sections:
therapy
and
regard for his mental wellbeing. Therapy is only
interpersonal psychotherapy. Psychoeducation is
effective if the client is willing to improve, and
more about learning information to cope with this
that doesn’t seem like it’d be Holmes’ priority.
disorder. Social rhythm therapy identifies the situations which may provoke or upset stability. In Holmes’ case, we can see apart from his crimesolving, his frequent cocaine use also correlates with his depressive episodes, so the removal of drugs could help ease his swings. It’s probable that interpersonal psychotherapy is what would aid Holmes the most: it focuses on interpersonal issues that provoke signals of the beginning of his episodes, such as interactions with Moriarty that may excite or anger him. However, it’d be very unlikely that Holmes would make an effort to reduce situations that cause harm to his emotional wellbeing if it compromised his crime-solving. As an alternative, Holmes could be prescribed mood stabilizer medication, which may treat symptoms of his depression and manic episodes.
Issue 1 | 15
DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MAKE US LONELIER? Warren Zhu, Year 12, Churchill I. Introduction
As beings thrown into a world of entities that manifest themselves as equipment, we come to
Two qualities distinguish social media from
understand ourselves through using—engaging
previous technologies: egocentrism and democracy.
with—them.
Social media is more egocentric than previous
leads to ontological change: when social media
technologies because, rather than consuming
changes how we interact with the world, it
information selected by others and for others, it
changes us. This is why Walter Benjamin writes
tailors that information for the individual. This
that “human sense perception…is determined not
egocentrism is compounded by social media’s
only by nature but by historical circumstances as
democratic
well.” [1]
nature
where
each
person
can
Technological change, therefore,
broadcast, i.e. speak out to the public rather than simply receive information. Instead of passive
To account for social media’s technological—and
consumption, social media provides us with
correspondingly ontological—shift, then, it is
functions such as ‘like’, ‘comment’, ‘share’, etc.,
perhaps
endowing each individual with a democratic
Arendt’s distinction between solitude and loneliness
voice, alongside ‘report’, ‘block’, and ‘follow’
as a way to understand how social media’s specific
allowing individuals to shape their interactions to
technology
their own ego. Whereas older technologies like
Loneliness, which Arendt describes as being
newspapers are forced to appeal to diverse
“deserted
audiences, social media’s functional malleability
[2]
myself”
most
helpful
predisposes by
human
to
introduce
us
to
company
Hannah
loneliness. but
also….
is not physical but psychical: it strikes
and democratic egocentrism allow it to be shaped
when one is bereft of others’ opinions for it is
to appeal only to the individual.
only when we encounter other opinions—another viewpoint
on
a
world
that
manifests
itself [3]
This technological change is not one we can easily
diversely—that we encounter other persons.
dismiss
are individuals by virtue of our opinion—and it is
because,
as
Heidegger
technology is itself a way of knowing.
[1] [2] [3]
Illuminations, p.217 Life of the Mind, p.76 The Human Condition, p.58-59
Issue 1 | 16
suggested,
this action, Socrates’ examination of the doxa
We
in the agora, that characterizes the realm of the [4]
our words weave for the public—derived from
human and enables true companionship. In
our
contrast to loneliness’ lack of opinion, solitude—
distinguishes us. The public world becomes
characterized by intense thought—is a collision of
woven together when the voices of the other and
opinions within the individual. This is why ‘echo
the self sound through their masks. Joined in
chamber’ is used to describe ideological discourse:
friendship, in shared speech, one’s opinion—one’s
in the echo chamber there is no other, but only
individual view—is channelled into the world, a
one’s voice reverberating in a hauntingly alien
world in which they encounter other opinions,
sameness.
thereby dispelling loneliness. II. Friendship
personare,
our
sounding
through
that
Flatness disables friendship because it inhibits personare: without dimension, we cannot speak to
Loneliness is dispelled either through solitude—
others in our voice nor hear the nuance in theirs.
one’s conversation with oneself through thinking
This problem is not new. Even the Athenian polis,
—or
between
built upon the idea of allowing each person to
individuals equal in their humanity but different
speak in their individuality, found itself corrupted
in their thought. Both modes rely on the same
by the tyranny of the majority, as shown in
fundamental principle: friendship proceeds “from
Socrates' death. For us, it is important we realize
friendship—the
conversation
[5]
a man’s [solitary] relations to himself”, where the [6]
this tyranny need not be Orwellian or even
friend is “another self”. Where friendship is
overtly political. It can rise directly from social
impossible, the individual can still retreat to the
media’s
inner citadel of the solitary self.
[7]
democratic
impulse—the
desire
to
Social media,
broadcast the self to a group—for this broadcast
however, threatens both solitude and friendship.
makes it impossible to speak in our own voice.
Its democratic egocentrism threatens solitude by
Like the pulp-journalist, but to a lesser degree, we
incorporating the public into the private and
fall prey to generalisations that increasingly
attacks
its
flatten to accommodate a growing audience. In
qualities of flatness, fragmentariness, and inattention.
broadcasting ourselves on social media—i.e. to the
the
bases
of
friendship
through
crowd—we lose the privacy of individual-toWe are all equal in our humanity but distinct in
individual conversational speech where we reveal
our personalities. Through reason (logos) we find
ourselves in the spontaneity of losing self-
the shared understanding from which speech
consciousness by being attentive to others.
(logos) (I find this necessary to link up with the next line)—the vehicle of our individuality—
However, even where social media allows for one-
arises. In logos we find our persona—the mask
on-one conversation, flatness prevails due to the
[4] [5] [6]
The Promise of Politics, p.13 Nicomachean Ethics, Book 9, Chapter 4 And love, the most intense form of friendship, is just “two solitudes protecting, defining, and welcoming each other.” Letters to a Young Poet, p.38
[7]
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 9, Chapter 4
Issue 1 | 17
medium’s
fragmentary
nature,
naturally
when generalized to the sphere of interpersonal
leading to inattention: when the continuity of
interactions—as social media does—the space and
conversation is broken by distance in space and
time required for friendship are forfeited. Devoid
time, our attention becomes diverted and the
of spontaneity and effortful engagement, social
conversation grows increasing segmented; the
media’s flatness is exacerbated by egocentrism,
flow of speech now circles only around the
fragmentariness, and inattentiveness that prevents
surface—the surface where the voice cannot
the mutual understanding required to become
sound
the
“another self,” trapping the individual into an
for
other-less, friendship less vacuum.
through—without
necessary
thus
ever
spontaneity
rising
that
to
allows
companionship. III. Duality Fragmentariness
and
inattention
make
it
impossible for us to reveal ourselves because
However, much of what contributes to loneliness
although revelation is possible en masse—it is how
and solitude remain intertwined and accessible
writers become the reader’s friend—what is
only
missing is the required length and continuity that
revolution—leading to democratic egocentrism,
forges
that
flatness, fragmentariness, and inattention—is not
channel us away from loneliness towards either
inherently negative: democracy can, in its full
friendship
its
form, promote friendship; egocentrism prepares
individuality, takes time to develop. Reduced to
a strong sense of self; flatness allows us to deal
fragmentary sentences, details (“the wealth of
with masses of people; fragmentariness makes
individualised or
[8]
colours”
thoughts—thoughts
solitude.
Thought,
in
) become lost to an all-encompassing [8]
together.
information
Social
easy
to
media’s
digest;
technological
and
inattention
flat “night in which all cows are black”.
preserves our attention for what is essential.
This is the true peril of egocentrism. When
We should not forget, either, that the individual
everything
one
has
digestible,
simplified
consumes
made
a
life
outside
of
social
media.
Fragmentariness, flatness, and inattention are not
encountering someone else becomes impossible.
qualitatively new—people have worked in the
Aided by fragmentariness—the most effortless
fields, in factories, and in offices in abject
manner
its
conditions for centuries and even millennia while
handmaiden, inattention, social media divorces us
still managing to retain private sanctums of
from engaging with the difficult nuances and
interaction (the family dinner table, for example)
intricacies required to sound through the persona
where companionship, friendship, and love can
and see the personare: after all, social media asks,
be enjoyed. Even in the absence of others in this
why
when
sanctum, the companionship of oneself allows the
SparkNotes presents the material in an hour?
transformation of loneliness into solitude. The
While it might be unnecessary for us all to go
danger of social media arises from the blurring of
through the trouble of reading Ulysses,
the demarcation between public and private.
[8]
spend
digesting
a
month
information—and
reading
Phenomenology of Spirit, Section 16
Issue 1 | 18
one’s
easily
comfort,
of
to
is
Joyce
ARTWORK BY MEGAN SIU, YEAR 11, WU
Issue 1 | 19
The intrusion of the public into the private
IV. Saving Power
sanctums disrupts the ability to find solitude or sound towards friendship: we are, instead, always
But where danger is, grows
both alone and in full view, unable to rest in
The saving power also.
[9]
solitude or be spontaneous in the company of others. The Romans depicted this need for duality
Yet, within social media’s inclination towards
in the god Janus, who presided over doorways,
loneliness
one eye on the open world and another inside the
friendship and rewarding solitude. Though the
home, protecting the private from the public.
public might become a tyrant, it might also—
This too is the function of the Jewish Sabbath, to
exemplified in Socratic dialectics in the agora—
preserve the private in rest, thus enabling the
provide the space for opinions to collide and
individual’s
weave together a common world, a space where
solitude.
The
breaking
of
this
boundary—in the businessman’s inattention to his
lies
also
the
possibility
of
true
friendship is brought forth into being.
children while pondering a deal or in a son’s reporting of his parents for being disloyal to the
It is not realistic to look upon the Athenian city-
state—is when the individual, finding nowhere
state as a model for the polis or togetherness given
solitude nor friendship, becomes lonely.
our densely populated cities and ever-larger countries—as Marx’s critique of industrialization
Though the problem is nothing new, social
suggests, flatness grows as numbers grow: in the
media’s specific portability—its residence not in a
mass factory we become alienated from our work
particular place but in a device that moves easily
and our fellow workers. But it is in addressing this
from
boundary
historical stage of development that social media
technological
—while a danger to friendship—contains also the
here
particularly
to
there—makes
susceptible.
this
This
advance materializes in a different ontology:
power to salvage it.
instead of returning from flat, fragmentary, inattentive
work
concrete
Social media’s power lies exactly within its
friendship and solitude, everywhere the same
danger, in its democracy, its egocentrism, its
dominates. As soon as public fragmentariness and
portability. It allows us to communicate with
inattention intrude into the private, the private is
others no matter where we are. It provides—even
destroyed; it cannot withstand the public’s assault.
if underutilised—the potential to present our full
Dimensionality
and,
individuality to whoever wishes to see it. Its
thereby, a locus of echoing, empty loneliness is
intrusion into the private has the potential to
created around the individual.
carve out a social sphere where the tyranny of the
is
to
more
present,
removed
from
life
public can be evaded.
[9]
Hölderlin,
Patmos,
quoted
in
Heidegger’s
Concerning Technology and Other Essays, p. 34
Issue 1 | 20
The
Question
Within the social sphere, it unites us by common interests, questions, conversations, providing the individual with a space to dwell, to contemplate, to find friendship. Metaphorically, it can build a multiplicity of social-states—large enough to find others but too small to fall prey to flatness—and create an agora, united by shared passion but expressive in difference, where one can reveal one’s
individuality
expecting
attention,
dimensionality, and coherence. It contains too the possibility of limitless—reaching out to the totality of extant human beings to forge the realm of the social—without sacrificing the individual at its core. It contains, therefore, in its tendency to loneliness, the promise of full immersiveness—of being-with, friendship, and rich solitude. Nothing essential to social media makes us lonely. Like fire, it can be either the torch of hope or the flames of destruction. It can destroy or save, make us less lonely or more. It depends on its manner of use, on the function for which we grasp the tool. However, because it is easier to destroy than build, it is harder to wield social media positively than let it run free, making us more lonely. Instead of assessing it binarily, we must think much more carefully about what it is, how we use it, and how it can be used. Much about social media makes us lonelier. But the antidote to its danger is not avoidance, censure, or destruction. To use social media to our advantage, we would have to dive into the essence of friendship: to sound through in our multiplicity of individuality, and let our opinions collide in our shared world.
Issue 1 | 21
HOW NATURE AND NURTURE CREATE A DICTATOR Natalie Tse, Year 12, Keller Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Benito
pathological
lying,
being
Mussolini, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-il, Saddam Hussein,
cunning, having a lack of remorse or guilt,
Kim Jong-un, Fidel Castro, Ho Chi Minh, Nikita
emotionally
Khrushchev, these are just some examples of
callousness,
dictators who possessed absolute power over a
hypersexual (or asexual) and charisma. These are
country, typically one which has been obtained
all psychopathic tendencies.
shallow,
manipulative
lack
of
empathy
impulsiveness,
and and
irresponsible,
through force. These names listed above are each responsible for hundreds of thousands, or even
Other things that we know about dictators are that
millions of deaths, and left those who survived in
they
persistent fear of death, forced labour or torture.
antisocial personality disorder), many dictators also
appear
to
display
be
psychopaths
(including [1]
malignant
narcissism,
sadism,
But what makes a dictator? Are people simply
paranoia (for example, Saddam Hussein was so
born dictators, or are they made? Keeping in
paranoid that he had multiple meals prepared for
mind, while there are a few in-depth direct
him around the country each day so no one knew
psychiatric data on dictators, however, there are
where he was eating. He even led as far as
virtually no genetic reports or brain imaging data.
surgically altering body doubles). Most dictators
Dictators are highly likely to be psychopaths and
are also found moderately to very intelligent and
some are similar to serial killers including zealots
had
or cult leaders. These studies and information that
childhood
I have found for my research are all based on
parents (for example, Hitler witnessed the death
educated guesses and comparisons to similar cases
of a sibling and was constantly abused by his
made by professionals and myself. The following
alcoholic father), many were mass murderers and
explanations
some, especially in the 20th and 21st century
are
all
pieced
together
hypothetically.
excellent
[2]
memories,
trauma
and/or
many loss
of
had
early
biological
preferred to murder their people (for example, Pol Pot’s massive genocide to up to two million of
Things Dictators Have in Common
his own people).
Dictators are found to have many common and consistent personality traits. These include
[1] [2]
Many dictators also have narcissistic traits: having
A personality disorder, those who have it often believe their own lies People who have excellent memories tend to have two forms of a gene that allow you to have very good memories but can also make you very anxious or depressed
Issue 1 | 22
an exaggerated sense of self-importance, being
How Nature Plays a Role
perceptive with fantasies about success, power or
Continuing the study done by Dr. James Fallon,
beauty, believing that they are special and can
he had found that there are certain parts of the
only
people,
brain that are altered in people that have a
requiring constant admiration, having a sense of
problem with moral dilemmas. The orbital cortex
entitlement, behaving in an arrogant or haughty
and amygdala are malformed in psychopaths, in
matter and taking advantage of others.
many cases this is due to what happened before
associate
with
equally
special
birth, while some are due to damage after birth Psychopathology
(tumor, trauma, etc.). The orbital cortex and
There are several nature and nurture factors
amygdala try to control your behaviour, and
which are believed to result in the types of
principally, whoever wins gets to control one's
behaviours displayed by dictators. In a study done
behaviour. We all follow and do things that our
by Dr. James Fallon, he had found that serial
amygdala does, however, only in the right
killers and dictators often have similar personality
context. And our orbital cortex gives us the
traits, this led him into believing that both serial
reason, the right context and reason to do these
killers and dictators have a similar type of brain
things. When it is unbalanced or malformed, it
damage. Although this may be the cause of said
can cause us to act out without reason.
personality traits, it is important to keep in mind that each individual is different. In our society
Additionally, it is also believed that dictators
there is a term known as successful psychopaths:
contain a gene known as the “warrior gene”. This
this is coined at psychopaths with higher levels of
so-called “warrior gene” is a gene that exhibits
consciousness, who are able to control their
higher levels of behavioral aggression in response
actions and often thrive in society among other
to provocation. It is composed of particular
ordinary human beings. This means that the brain
variations in the X chromosome gene that
structures of serial killers and psychopaths who
produces monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). MAOA
were caught will not be generalisable to all
is an enzyme that affects the neurotransmitters
dictators.
may
dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Past
possess some or many traits consistent with
research has found that when MAOA genes link
psychopathology.
describes
with specific environmental factors, it can often
as a three-legged stool: high
lead to significantly higher levels of violent
Serial
psychopathology
killers
[3]
Dr.
or
James
psychopaths Fallon
vulnerability genetic alleles (forms of genes that
behaviour in men.
are at high risk of forms of aggression), functional brain loss in certain brain areas and abuse.
[3]
Psychopathology is a term which refers to either the study of mental illness or mental distress or the manifestation of behaviours and experiences which can be symptomatic of mental illness or psychological impairment.
Issue 1 | 23
How Nurture Plays a Role
repressed the mistreatment they once received,
Alice Miller, a psychoanalyst, wrote a book “For
will constitute a danger to others. The greater
Your Own Good” where she analysed how
power these formerly oppressed and abused
dictators’ childhood and their first experiences
people
shaped their respective childhood. In this book,
represent.”
Miller
demonstrated through dictators such as Stalin,
also [4]
pedagogies’,
brings
in
the
term
‘poisonous
a term used to refer to ways of
acquire, This
the
bigger
form
of
the
threat
nurture
is
they
clearly
Hitler and many of their followers.
raising a child that could harm their emotional development. This lack of development will later
Conclusion
result in both dangerous and harmful adult
Fundamentally, nature and nurture work in
behaviour. The use of the word ‘poison’ in this
conjunction in order to shape a dictator. Despite
term
dysfunctional
the lack of studies in dictators, the comparison of
behaviour in said child, a poison that will remain
observed behaviours and traits from dictators can
in them even during and perhaps after adulthood.
definitely hypothetically piece together findings
leads
to
neurosis
and
from studies and theories. Natural or biological In Miller’s book, she refers to several dictators as an
example
of
her
analysis
in
‘poisonous
components such as the MAOA warrior gene, brain damage and other findings like twin studies aggression.[5] Biological
pedagogies’. A dictator she mentions in particular
on
factors
such
is Joseph Stalin. Stalin grew up as an only child in
testosterone can assuredly be a factor as well with
an impecunious family. As a matter of fact, Stalin
nearly all dictators in history being males and
was the only child out of the three children who
studies have found that high testosterone levels
had survived. Stalin’s father was a shoemaker and
may affect aggression and other psychological
an alcoholic who would often beat him. His father
traits as well. On the other hand, nurture elements
then abandoned him and his mother when he was
can equally create a dictator through introducing
5 years old to work in a factory. According to
first experiences and upbringing. As this was all
Miller, the fact that Stalin was the only surviving
pieced together hypothetically, there is no way of
child in his family had caused him to be more
knowing whether nature plays a bigger role in
vigilant. Stalin would panic, constantly living in
creating a dictator than nurture or vice versa.
fear that his father might kill him next, which
Instead, what we know is that there are many
then developed into paranoia as he got older.
factors involved in creating a dictator, many of
Stalin had a “manic conviction that everyone else
which may be more common than you think,
was out to kill him” which had led him to do
bringing up the question: can the person next to
many things such as sending millions of people
you be a dictator in disguise?
into concentration camps. Miller says “it is more likely that individuals, who have completely
[4] [5]
A term coined by German educationist and author Katharina Rutschky Twin studies on aggression have been done over the years (notably Brengden et al.) have found that genes do play a role in aggression demonstrated in individuals. This suggests that genetics can affect one’s aggression which may attribute to forming a dictator
Issue 1 | 24
as
ARTWORK BY KATE XIAO, YEAR 10, GELLHORN
Issue 1 | 25
IS IT ETHICAL TO USE PSYCHOLOGICAL TACTICS TO BENEFIT THE ECONOMY? Sabrina Yeung, Year 12, Keller It is vital to consider whether the uses of
However, to make that exclusivity appeal to work
psychological ‘tricks’ in areas such as marketing
in the long run, the company must act on what
and advertising are ethical or not. There are a
they have said since empty claims tend to be
multitude of ways in which individuals can be
counterproductive. Overall, I think that it could
manipulated to behave in certain ways, but
be beneficial in some ways to promote exclusivity
whether it is ethical or not is still in debate, even if
in order to help companies increase their retained
it leads to overall benefits in the economy.
profit, but it would only be ethical as long as the companies
know
the
extent
to
which
they
One way in which they do so is by promoting
implement this. It would not be ethical to exploit
exclusivity. Advertisements are created in a way
the consumers, especially because it is easy for
such that people can feel that they are part of an
them to spend more if they are on a higher tier of
exclusive group. For instance, a company may try
membership. The status gives them the feeling of
to promote that only certain, prestigious people
confidence although the primary purpose is so
would be a good fit for their product, thus
that consumers would be “tricked” into spending
enticing customers to purchase their product.
more.
Companies often try to take advantage of this and therefore have the potential to exploit their
Another way in which marketers can employ
customers. One of the most well-known examples
psychology to appeal to consumers is through
of this exclusivity is in the American Express
advertising emotional ideas. It has been suggested
tagline,
Its
that emotional and psychological appeals resonate
Privileges”. Another example is a customer loyalty
more with consumers than feature and function
program, where each band of customers have
appeals. The benefits from the purchase of the
different statuses, such as gold and platinum.
product often outsell the factual information on
People who are labelled more “superior” than the
the features of the products as they would have
others tend to spend more, and those in “regular”
more of a clear and positive influence on the
classes are not affected. People like being part of
customer’s life. For example, demonstrating how
groups that imply some superior quality or level
a new phone will make a customer happy, tends
of status that has their approval. Even when given
to make them more likely to make a purchase
an artificial reason, people tend to take action in
rather than explaining how it works. In this case,
order to feel like they belong to an “elite” group of
this tactic would still be ethical to enact as there
people.
are no clear disadvantages in doing so, as long as
Issue 1 | 26
which
reads
“Membership
Has
companies don’t put out false information about
In conclusion, I believe that companies have
their products in desperation of maximising their
definitely tried to increase sales through the use
sales. However, there is also a risk of companies
of psychological techniques, whether this is
misleading
asymmetric
ethical or not is a large debate. It often depends
information, which is when the companies have
on the situation and on the way the psychological
superior knowledge compared to the consumers.
tricks are implemented. The British Psychological
If consumers do not have all the information that
Society has a Code of Ethics, focussed on four
they require to purchase products that maximise
primary ethical principles: respect, competence,
their utility, the only way they can go around this
responsibility and integrity that are used as
is to rely and trust on businesses to provide them
guidelines for day-to-day professional conduct.
with that knowledge, meaning that they can be
Within these, deception is a major ethical concern
easily tricked. Consequently, in this case, it would
and it can be argued that companies often deceive
not be ethical.
their customers, especially in the case of there
consumers
due
to
being
information
customers
urgency in the right way to confer economic
psychological harm so it could be contended that
advantages. Scarcity means that people have
companies are employing these tactics in an
infinite wants but there are only finite resources.
ethical way. Overall, consumers should be careful
Therefore resources are scarce as they are finite,
when making economic choices and recognize
which consequently drives the price up when the
when they may be in an unethical situation.
increases.
Many
companies
do
not
However,
Marketers are also able to use the sense of
demand
often
asymmetry.
experience
any
have
discount sales for a limited amount of time, and when the price of an elastic good decrease, the demand for that good increases at a greater proportion. Therefore, sales would boost revenue as it encourages more consumption through cheaper price, which provides incentives for customers
to
make
a
purchase.
However,
companies cannot have sales frequently as it lowers consumers expectations for prices as they would expect prices to further decrease in the future which stops them from consuming as much in the present. Therefore through strategies such as discount sales, companies could increase their number of transactions and boost their retained profit. I believe that this is in fact ethical since it is up to the consumers choice and patience whether or not to purchase the product or not.
Issue 1 | 27
THE MISUNDERSTANDING CALLED 'ADHD' Sophie Hunka, Year 13, Gellhorn ADHD is one of those disorders that are really
oversharing. So dear teachers and friends, I
poorly named. ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
promise I didn’t intend to be rude when I did
Disorder’, also known as “can’t sit still disease”.
these things, they’re simply in my nature. Plus,
Having ADHD myself, I don’t feel as if this label is
these things aren’t necessarily a ‘disadvantage’.
entirely accurate, in fact, my attention deficit and
Many popular actors and YouTubers have ADHD
hyperactive tendencies aren’t even the worst part
including Emma Chamberlain, Dream and Paris
of my disorder. It is only the part of my disorder
Hilton. Part of their appeal is their eccentric
that
people—particularly
personalities, demonstrating how some people
neurotypical people—either through being overly
can turn their apparent ‘disadvantage’ into an
chatty, jumping from subject to subject, or even
asset.
affects
other
just bouncing my leg. My own disorder is named on how other people perceive it. Most people
Something I wish someone gave me a heads up
probably know the key hallmarks of ADHD: a lack
that with my ADHD diagnosis, along came
of focus, daydreaming, slow at work, impulsive,
‘Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria’. This is a very
etc., but there are so many other aspects that the
extreme response to a perceived or real-life
people around me aren’t even aware of and are
rejection that one has experienced. This may
simply brushed off. It is also worth noting that a
express
lot of the symptoms or features I am discussing in
angry outbursts, low self-esteem and anxiety. This
this article are not exclusive to ADHD and may
occurs in about 99% of teens and adults who have
overlap with other disorders such as bipolar
ADHD and doctors speculate it often occurs
disorder, depression, autism and more. These are
because of an overactive brain.
itself
in
disappointment,
frustration,
just my experiences. The brain of someone with ADHD is extremely ADHD is a neurodivergent disorder that develops
overactive and hypersensitive in an attempt to
throughout childhood and is quite similar to
increase their dopamine. Any type of rejection or
autism, also being a neurodivergent. Autism and
perceived negative emotions can trigger a stress
ADHD are largely linked biologically and how
response and cause an emotional ‘overreaction’
their symptoms can overlap. A key example of
considered inappropriate for the situation. This
this is the difficulty in understanding social cues.
feature has led me to a number of uncomfortable
People with ADHD or Autism may have difficulty
situations with teachers and friends wondering
with eye contact, getting into other people's space,
why I was left hurt over a situation that they
reading when it is appropriate to speak and
considered to be normal.
Issue 1 | 28
ARTWORK BY RACHEL LI, YEAR 12, WU
Issue 1 | 29
Although I have no idea how to deal with this and
in executive functioning. Executive function helps
still suffer with it daily, I do know it helps to
allocate mental tasks to other parts of the brain
express to those around me exactly why I feel the
such as focus, processing verbal information and
way I do and that I just need some space to deal
starting tasks. You know how when you climb into
with it.
bed and turn off the lights, you suddenly have to go to the bathroom but it takes you a minute to
Another similarity ADHD has with Autism is
convince yourself it’s worth it? That's how I feel
something
is
when I have to start any task. I’ve spent hours just
hypersensitivity to certain stimuli because the
looking at a blank Google Document, trying to
brains of neurodivergent individuals function and
even start an essay (sorry Ms Crofton). So far I
perceive the world in a very different way. The
have tried to let my teachers know that I may
best example of this is food. Personally, I can’t
struggle finishing assignments on time and I also
stand the texture of mushrooms. Even the sight of
set early due dates for myself to try and make
them
sure it gets done on time.
I
makes
like
to
me
call
want
‘the
to
ick’.
throw
This
up
and
accidentally eating one is a disaster. A friend I have can’t stand bubbly drinks so she’s never had
Lastly, my most apparent ‘annoying’ trait is
soft drinks in her life, the sound, texture and taste
stimming. Whether it's the clicking of pens,
of it just freaks her out. One of the difficulties I’ve
bouncing of legs, whistling or flapping of hands.
found with being hypersensitive to food is being
Stimming
labelled as a ‘picky eater’ which is weirdly looked
stimulating behaviours’ and usually is simple,
down upon. It is often associated with being rude,
repetitive self-soothing actions. Everybody stims
childish, or worst of all, ‘unsophisticated’ but that's
to a certain degree, cracking your knuckles when
not always the case. I promise I’m not intending
you are nervous or cupping your hands together
to be rude or snobby, bean sprouts are just
when you're frustrated is a stim. Although there is
masquerading as noodles and that makes me
no ‘clear’ cause of stimming, scientists assume it
uncomfortable. This hypersensitivity can also take
helps block extra sensory input or provide extra
place with certain sounds, smells, tastes and
sensory input as needed. This was the original
textures in any environment. You may have a
purpose of things such as fidget spinners and
friend who can’t stand the sound of velcro or
fidget cubes. It allows those who need to stim a
doesn’t like the feeling of cotton against their skin.
way to do it without bothering the people around
If someone you know expresses they have a
them. I know that I sometimes shake my hands or
hypersensitivity to something (ADHD or not) try
fidget within my classes and it can be very
to
reasonable
distracting for the people around me. In the past,
accommodations. I’m very grateful for the dinner
I’ve attempted to use something like a stress ball
chef in Harrow who has accommodated me to
to help reduce distractions; however, in class, I
make sure I have a meal with no textures that
was met with some criticism from those around
make me uncomfortable!
me. I hope an article like this will make these tools
adhere
to
it
and
make
is
the
shortened
name
of
more acceptable within a classroom setting. The most notable part of ADHD, being its distractibility, is largely caused by an impairment
Issue 1 | 30
‘self-
ADHD and other neurotypical disorders have been labelled a ‘Disability’ and I still don't know how I feel about this. I wouldn’t recommend this disorder to neurotypicals because it does come with a lot of downfalls (some of which are included within this article) that significantly disadvantage me. However, I wouldn't feel like me without it. Hyper focusing on an interesting topic in class helps me complete most of my homework assignments, being sensitive to stimuli has made me a better photographer and visual editor, and a dysfunctional central executive has helped me with
multitasking
my
assignments
and
broadening my interests. Although ADHD is almost exclusively represented through children, children with ADHD will grow up to be adults with ADHD which is why it’s so important to learn how to manage symptoms of your disorder and educate those around you on what these symptoms may look like. If you would like to know more about ADHD and things you can do to help, ‘3 Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks’ by ‘ADDitude’ is an interesting resource.
Issue 1 | 31
THE PORTRAYAL OF EATING DISORDERS IN FILM Ellie Ip, Year 12, Keller Eating
disorders
deadly
This television film released in 1981 is based on its
diseases that could put anyone at risk anytime. A
counterpart: a novel published in 1978. Following
study in 2007 found that about one in five
the life of Casey, a teenage cheerleader and ballet
secondary school students aged twelve to eighteen
dancer who suffers from anorexia and bulimia,
were at risk of disordered eating. Eating disorders
this film accurately illustrates the significant
are a group of mental illnesses characterized by
effects one’s eating disorder could have not only
severe
on themselves but also on their families.
and
are
persistent
dangerous
and
disturbance
in
eating
behaviours associated with distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be life-threatening and
However, despite films raising awareness on the
can affect one’s perception of their own body.
issue of mental health and eating disorders, it could arguably have an adverse effect. Many
The most common types of eating disorders
mental health professionals argue that films and
include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge
the media in general often have a tendency to
eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is when one has
glamourise and beautify mental illnesses, eating
an extremely restrictive diet and not eating
disorders included. However, eating disorders are
enough for their age, weight and gender. This
anything but glamorous. The reality of such
usually leads to a significantly low BMI. People
disorders are often devastating and without
with anorexia nervosa usually have an extreme
proper recognition and treatment, they can result
fear of gaining weight. Bulimia nervosa is when
in permanent damage or death.
one consumes a large amount of food whenever they have negative emotions (binging), and due to
An example of this would be the portrayal of
guilt and fear of gaining weight, they try to get rid
anorexia nervosa, a common eating disorder.
of the food by vomiting, excessive exercising or
Films often associate anorexia with starvation and
taking pills like laxatives. Binge eating disorder is
weight loss. They tend to make the subtle
when one constantly engages in excessive eating
implications that anorexia is often seen in young
and cannot stop eating even if they feel full, some
Caucasian females who strive for perfection,
may call it a food addiction or compulsive eating.
which in turn creates an unrealistic stereotype within the general population.
Having been a prominent feature displayed in films since the 13th century, eating disorders are
In reality, this is far from the truth.
constantly being made aware of; however, how they are portrayed is not always ideal. The first
Eating disorders are more than an obsession with
film to explicitly portray eating disorders was
food
‘The Best Little Girl In the World’.
characterized by underlying triggers that are
Issue 1 | 32
and
weight
loss,
they
are
also
often
associated with depression, self-harm, trauma,
tried to spread the fact that mental illness doesn't
interpersonal conflict, substance abuse, low self-
discriminate
esteem and anxiety. People who suffer from
awareness with good intentions. However, the
anorexia often lack the ability to gain a sense of
film is not exactly accurate in representing the
self-control. Additionally, eating disorders do not
reality
discriminate against gender, ethnicity, age or
unconventional. Treatments are usually done in
body type. We need to raise awareness to the
hospitals and professional treatment centres with
general
supervision from doctors and nurses. Other
population
that
anorexia
is
not
an
of
exclusive eating disorder, it can also affect men as
treatments
well as non-Caucasian individuals. To imply that
cognitive
mental illnesses are only subject to certain
therapies.
and
spread
treatments
could
also
behavioural
knowledge
as
it
include
was
and
really
medications,
therapy
or
talking
ethnicities and races is creating a disadvantage for those who do not fit into the stereotypical image.
Over decades, psychologists have been arguing that there is never a right way of portraying eating
In 2017, Netflix released a film titled “To The
disorders in films even if its intentions are good.
Bone”, presenting the reality of eating disorders
Films relating to mental health have always been a
and the difficulties that come with treatment. The
“danger zone” and is often perceived as a
movie was about a young white woman named
glamourisation of mental health and is potentially
Ellen who is anorexic. In the movie’s narrative
triggering for many people who are suffering.
arc, she’s admitted to a treatment centre, gets
Nowadays with social media, even if you choose
better, and then worsens throughout the film.
to not watch the film, it is unpreventable to watch
This shows the audience that treatment may not
trailers or scenes of it on social media like
always go smoothly and it will be a long process.
Instagram or Twitter and the short appearance of
This may be an advantage of films on eating
that may lead to a lot of trigger especially for
disorders as it lets the audience know that they are
people who are trying to recover.
not alone and it is a normal process, this may encourage the audience to recover and prevent
Raising awareness may be important; however,
them from giving up with the long process. In the
when
process, Ellen has shown some common habits of
accessed by anyone—about sensitive topics like
one with eating disorders, for example, body
eating disorders, many aspects should be carefully
checking,
exercising
controlled. Professional psychologists should be
excessively. Another notable part of the movie is
involved in making sure triggering aspects are
there was a young black woman and a male ballet
carefully included and do not teach the audience
dancer admitted at Ellen's treatment centre, which
even more ways to worsen their situation. Trigger
goes against the stereotypical norms portrayed in
warnings should also be placed at the beginning of
the media of the type of people with eating
the film in order to alert the audience that there
disorders. This further emphasizes the incorrect
may be distressing images in the film.
calorie
calculating
and
producing
films—that
can
easily
be
portrayal of eating disorders and brings more attention towards males and other ethnicities
While films on eating disorders are effective for
receiving treatment. Though Ellen’s character fits
raising awareness about the disorders, it could
the stereotypical anorexic persona, the film had
also negatively impact people without
Issue 1 | 33
eating disorders by providing them with possible 'thinspiration' and introducing them to actions that they may imitate. This may lead to more people getting eating disorders. Furthermore, many actors who are asked to portray a character with an eating disorder are placed on restrictive diets so they can look the part. This can easily make them deeply involved in the role and end up with a borderline eating disorder, even after filming is over, which is not the message films should be spreading to the public.
ARTWORK BY JENNIFER ZHOU, YEAR 10, GELLHORN
Issue 1 | 34
THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND TOBACCO ADDICTION Jamie Man, Year 12, Churchill Tobacco
addiction
It stimulates the area of the brain that is associated
apparent in today’s society. According to Maureen
with pleasure and reward and can contribute to
Boyle, a public health advisor and director at the
feelings of happiness, alertness and motivation.
National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Addiction is a
Dopamine is secreted by the brain during healthy
biopsychosocial disorder,” which is a disorder that
activities (such as exercising, listening to music);
results from the complex interaction of biological,
however, drugs such as nicotine and cocaine can
psychological and social factors. Most widespread
cause intensive dopamine rushes that can leave
through cigarettes, tobacco kills more than 8
you wanting more after the first experience. It will
million people a year, over 7 million of those
force the brain to release excessive amounts of
deaths are from direct consumption whereas 1.2
dopamine, preventing the brain from reabsorbing
million are the result of non-smokers being
the dopamine, making the pleasurable experience
exposed to secondhand smoking. It was found
last longer than usual. In more serious cases
that two out of three smokers say they want to
where the use of tobacco is chronic or more
quit and about half try to quit each year, but very
severe, it can cause permanent changes to the
few are successful. Consequently, many smokers
molecular
become emotionally and physically dependent on
functioning of the brain, so normal activities—
nicotine over time, due to the effects it can have
such as gaming and exercise—do not produce the
on our behaviour, mood, and emotions.
same amounts of dopamine that they used to.
Nicotine
addiction
in
is
tobacco
a
is
common
the
main
addictive
High
and
neurochemical
dopamine
levels
can
structure
affect
and
dopamine
chemical that causes a rush of adrenaline when
receptors in a way that makes you lose interest in
absorbed in the bloodstream or inhaled through
other
cigarette smoking. In addition, nicotine also
experience’, which can result in compulsive
triggers
levels.
smoking. Many people who have used tobacco
Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that your
regularly for weeks or longer will experience
nervous system uses to send messages between
physical and emotional symptoms of withdrawal
nerve cells. It is involved in neurological and
when they try to stop or greatly reduce the
psychological functioning and plays a major role
amount they use it. Some symptoms include
in the way we think and act. Dopamine is
irritability, nervousness, headaches, depression
involved in many bodily functions including
and trouble sleeping. Even if you were to stop
blood flow, memory & focus, mood & emotions
smoking for a long period of time, re-exposure to
and sleep.
smoking can trigger your desire and put you at
an
increase
in
dopamine
things
other
than
that
‘pleasurable
Issue 1 | 35
risk of relapsing. Tobacco users often have high
In the example of a smoker, I believe that the
relapse rates, it was found that around 75% of
initial phase of choosing whether to smoke or not
people who quit smoking relapse within the first
is a choice whether the reason being some form
six months.
of emotional stress such as anxiety, depression, or peer pressure. However, once they start smoking,
You might be wondering, at what point does it
chemicals such as nicotine are introduced which
become an addiction? The basis of an addiction is
changes this ‘addiction’ to a disease, due to the
when
permanent effects it can have on the brain’s
a
person
engages
in
activity
that
is
pleasurable and cannot stop doing it to the extent
function,
resulting
at which it affects everyday living, health &
impulsive smoking. I believe that it is at the stage
wellbeing suffer as a result, the behaviour would
when
be considered an addiction.
neurological
chemicals
in are
changes
uncontrollable introduced
occur
that
and change
and the the
addiction from becoming more than just a choice, In the past years, there has been an ongoing
but a disease and medical condition that is out of
debate on whether addiction is a choice or a
their control.
disease. In the article “Addiction Is A Choice” published in 2002, Dr. Schaler had stated that addiction is a behaviour and is “clearly intended by the person”, the evidence he had used to support his claim was the 12 step groups and programs that help with recovery from substance addictions. He stated that “if the philosophy of the 12 step method is to be believed, addiction is an ethical problem, not a medical one”. In contrast, another article “Addiction Is A Disease” also published in 2002, had used cigarette smoking as an example, and stated that despite all the warning
labels
printed
on
cigarette
packets
explaining the damaging and detrimental effects of tobacco, 17.8% of Americans still choose to smoke. As a result, this proves that choice is not the main factor in the decision to continue to intake tobacco. Many smokers are fully aware of the
risks
and
effects
but
still
continue
to
compulsively smoke. After weighing and taking into consideration views from both sides of the argument, I have concluded that addiction is both a choice and a disease, but more so a disease to a certain extent.
Issue 1 | 36
ARTWORK BY HEBE CHEUK, YEAR 12, WU
Issue 1 | 37
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN PERFECTION Joshua Yen, Year 12, Shaftesbury “The consciousness of the infinite is nothing else than
When approaching the issue of communism in
the consciousness of the infinity of the consciousness; or,
this entry, I want to make it clear that my main
in the consciousness of the infinite, the conscious subject
aim is not to critique the communist theory, nor
has for his object the infinity of his own nature.”
to provide any substantive discussion of its
—Ludwig Feuerbach
capitalist counterpart. Rather, the formulations of both the capitalist and the communist dreams are
The achievement of perfection has long been an
very profound and have significant implications
ideal that has permeated the heart and soul of
for our current discussion.
mankind. To some, it is the formulation of the perfect society; to others, it is the pursuit of the
Let us, for the sake of the argument, take a
perfect relationship or ideology. The widespread
reduction or a summary, of the two views. In
nature of this fascination not only makes it a
regards to the capitalistic idea, we strive towards a
problem of the individual fields in which one
free market and free exchange of capital. In
wants to achieve perfection, but also raises
regards to the communist blueprint, man is but a
fundamental
about
byproduct of his class, and history the byproduct
why, and in some cases, whether we actually
of class struggle. To Marx (evidently influenced
desire perfection.
by Hegel), this was a nigh inevitable progression
psychological
discussions
of history towards an ultimate destruction of class To come to our conclusions, I would briefly
and the development of a shared economy of the
discuss the nature of perfection on a societal scale
proletariat.
before
turning
more
to
the
personal
and
individual sphere. By delving deeper into the
What we see here is not mainly an ideological
latter, I believe that we would have a greater
difference,
understanding of perfection and why they play
difference.
such an important role in self-development.
achievement of a methodology—the free market,
but While
rather
a
capitalism’s
methodological goal
is
the
communism starts off with the ideology before In regards to society, I would like to compare the
finding a way to achieve it. It is understanding this
communist dream of the “conquest… of the
second approach, more specifically its sudden
proletariat” (Marx, 13) to the capitalist structure;
growth
and in regards to the second, the role of the ideal
applicable to our discussion.
in our everyday lives and achievements.
Issue 1 | 38
of
popularity,
which
is
especially
A communist “economic” approach (of shared
We are, perhaps, less worried about achieving
goods) has undergone a wide change throughout
perfection and more worried about solving the
[1]
history. Originally, when societies were less
most imminent problems which face us day to
united and most people congregated in small
day.
villages and tribes, it was more practical for man to adopt a more egalitarian approach to goods and
This
production. There was a farmer who provided
psychology of fear and wish-fulfillment in the
bread, a hunter etc. However, with the expansion
works of Dostoevsky and Freud respectively.
of human civilization and the growing interaction
Viewing fear as a fundamental driving force of the
with other tribes, trading became extremely
human predicament, Dostoevsky, through his
important. It was upon this system that capitalism
character Kirillov, suggested that “God is the pain
was found. The necessity for goods and their
of the fear of death.” (p. 128) What Dostoevsky
availability actively impacted their worth in
noted is that our fear of certain problems (death
trading,
in
leading
to
a
capitalistic
mentality.
is
this
supported
by
circumstance)
writings
can,
at
about
times,
be
the
so
However, this approach found itself challenged by
vehement that it leads us to turn to extreme
growing socialistic thought in various parts of the
alternatives to compensate. In the same way,
world. Turning to the oppression and suffering of
when we are faced with an indomitable problem,
the proletariat, the working class, many socialists
either on a personal level, or a societal one, rather
were appalled by the system and sought to solve
than trying to look for the most immediate
this problem of class inequality. Viewing it as an
solution, we would rather turn to the ideal or
inherent problem of a capitalistic methodology,
perfection, a great, perhaps, similarly unrealistic
they
goal to solve our first problem.
proposed
their
communist
ideal,
the
divination of a perfect society, a return to a long lost past perhaps.[2]
Since it seems quite obvious that the societal turn to perfection seems to ultimately stem from a
What does this tell us about perfection on a
more personal source, it would be apropos for us
societal scale? One can make the case that it
to delve into this individual nature in more depth.
demonstrates that society views methodology (in
To do this, I would like to turn to the work of
this case capitalism) as a tool of progress and
Ludwig Feuerbach, who in his work The Essence of
development, whereas they view perfection (in
Christianity, provides great insight into how we
this case communism) as the solution to the
first developed the idea of the perfect being (in his
problems of a flawed methodology.
case God).
This,
I
believe,
tells
us
a
fundamental
psychological fact about our use of perfection.
[1]
To Feuerbach, perfection did not necessarily come from an external source, rather perfection
Evidently, there were already strands of capitalistic mentality here, everyone had to produce a certain amount of goods in order to maintain their value to the society
[2]
Or at least this is how the socialists of today view the dream of communism. While it is clear that Marx himself viewed socialism as more of a dialectical “end of history” a la Hegel, many socialists do not adopt a similar (and I believe flawed) reading of history. Rather, they made what was originally meant to be a philosophical process an ideal that was meant to be strived toward.
Issue 1 | 39
[1]
came from the process of man learning more
This idea is profound. Where else would we
about himself. Truly convinced in the “divinity of
expect to find God apart from being the guardian
human nature,” (p. ix.) Feuerbach concluded that
against the greatest evil? Where can we come by
we
the ideal apart from the darkest part of human
divined
the
infinite
from
our
own
“consciousness of the infinity… [and the] infinity
existence? [3]
of his own nature” (p. 2.) What is found within us is mirrored onto the world, and it is only when it
The same can be said of love, courage, sacrifice
is mirrored onto the world that we truly find out
and fellowship. These beautiful, if not divine,
what it is (and even at times, recognise it as a
ideals are most commonly found in the pit of
completely separate entity from ourselves).
torment and despair. The fact that these ideals are not
extrinsic,
but
indeed
intrinsic
further
This is arguably true for most of our ideals and
convinces us that even in the darkest of times, we
our images of perfection. The “solutions” that we
can personally reach the light.
find are arguably manifestations of our deepest thoughts reflected as ideas in the extrinsic world.
While this is definitely a very romanticized
For example, Marx argued that communism was a
version of the ideal, one must note that the ideal is
“scientific” end-to-history, while this appears, at
not
face value, to be an empirical inquiry, in reality,
undeniably recognised the importance and utility
this is an embodiment of his beliefs in equality of
of the ideal, he realised that with it came a very
outcome and a destruction of class.
radical and counter-intuitive shift. Instead of
without
its
faults.
While
Dostoevsky
being something that you strive towards and aim If this is the case and we combine this hypothesis
to
achieve,
Dostoevsky
suggested
that
upon
with the discussion above, we reach a rather
achieving it, man would naturally destroy the
complex, and arguably somewhat paradoxical,
ideal.
idea. We turn to perfection as a solution to an extrinsic, perhaps, existential problem, yet in
To Dostoevsky, the idea of a perfect society was
turn, realise that perfection, instead of being
absurd, in some senses it was by definition a
something found in the external world, is actually
contradictio in adjecto. His reasoning was simple. A
found deep within us. In some sense, we are
perfect society is that which embodies perfection
already equipped with the ideals to overcome the
in every single level and facet of its existence. But
problems that are meant to be beyond us.
if this is the case, a perfect society would have no way to turn, no way to develop. Man would
If we were to further follow the argument to its
become useless and harmful in every sense of the
even more messy conclusion, would it not also be
word. Everything he does would do nothing but
right to suggest that it is precisely our reaction to
weaken the perfect society. As a result, he
solving the darkness which allows us to discover
concluded that if we were to achieve perfection,
the greatest light?
we would destroy perfection to maintain the beauty of the struggle and action in man.
[3]
Evidently I am discussing the psychological nature of God and not whether He exists or not
Issue 1 | 40
This perhaps tells us even more about the ideal.
Life, a struggle which is apparently futile and
As developed before, the ideal is a solution to a
meaningless, is suddenly endowed with meaning
great problem. However, we were yet to describe
through that unreachable goal on the top of the
how exactly it was meant to solve the problem.
hill, a beacon and a guardian against the gaping
Dostoevsky’s analysis gives us the answer, the
chasm of nihilism that lies below. What is special
utility of the ideal lies not in its attainment but in
about this beacon is that it did not come from
the fact that we struggle towards it.
beyond, but from within, a pre-existing solution to all of life’s toils and hardships. This is, to me,
To illustrate this, I would like to take a page out of
the most simple, yet most lucid understanding of
Greek
perfection, a foundational belief within all of us
mythology—the
age-old
problem
of
Sisyphus, the tragic man cursed to push his rock
which allows us to strive towards the light.
constantly up the hill only for it to roll back down again. Sisyphus represents the endless struggle of human existence, no matter how far we try to run, we are ultimately stuck on a plane of nihilism and despair, without a goal, without a purpose. This is where the ideal comes in. While it is dangerous to try to idealise the physical and directly apply perfection into our lives, it works as a beautiful tool to escape this endless cycle. Regardless of whether there is truly another side, through the divination of the ideal, we are motivated to continue to push the rock up the hill. And even if we were to spend all of our existence on an upward toil towards the heights, the “light at the end of the tunnel” allows one to conclude that “all is well, [for] the struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” (Camus, Sisyphus, pp. 118-119.) Evidently,
what
we
have
established
would
undeniably be somewhat different from Camus’ reading, but its existentialist thesis is nevertheless the same. By placing the ideal as the unattainable other, we can see that the problem of Sisyphus should no longer be seen as a problem, but rather a prophecy to inner meaning and purpose.
Issue 1 | 41
ARTWORK BY ATHENA CHAU, YEAR 12, ANDERSON
Issue 1 | 42
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CAUSES OF INSECURITY IN PEOPLE'S LIVES? Coco Sun, Year 12, Gellhorn When threatened, the body has an instinctual
Insecurity,
natural response to a threatening situation, which
Psychological
primes oneself for either resting or fighting a
inadequacy, lack of self-confidence, and inability
perceived threat. This ‘Fight or Flight’ response
to cope, accompanied by general uncertainty and
floods
anxiety
the
body
epinephrine,
with
chemicals
norepinephrine,
such
as
as
defined
by
Association,
about
one’s
the
is
a
goals,
American feeling
abilities,
of
or
cortisol.
relationships with others, the causes of which are
Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, increases
attributed generally to environmental, biological,
cardiac output priming a person for some form of
genetic, and sociocultural factors. Social and
physical
which
cultural norms are behavioural rules learned
functions as a neurotransmitter enables cells to be
through primary and secondary socialisation,
targeted and primed for action/reaction, and
which often go unspoken and are learned through
finally, cortisol which is a hormone that is closely
observation and interaction with the local and
linked with stress and helps the body respond to
wider culture within a country. For example, in
danger. Some people may be more predisposed
recent years, the prevalence of skin whitening
to insecurities as a result of a more physical
products has increased tremendously among
‘trigger ready’ response to threats from birth. Due
Asian women. Colourism is linked with social
to this instinctual fight-or-flight response in
stratification based on skin tone in China, creating
humans, people have the potential to become
a perception of privilege and social mobility in
fearful of threats or overly vigilant, resulting in
groups with paler skin; resulting in an increase in
insecurity. Childhood and adolescence are also a
insecurity and anxiety within sectors of society
period with complex psychological development,
where many will self loathe due to their skin
with many variables which will affect one's
colour as they ‘feel inadequacy’ in not meeting the
growth, therefore having a direct effect on one's
social norms of beauty.
exertion,
norepinephrine
anxiety and insecurity. Adolescence is a key time where both socioculturally and academically an
Society
association
environment around it, economic insecurity, war
between
puberty
and
and
famine
its can
norms lead
are
the
and
the causes for insecurity and results, are varied.
increasingly
This essay will address the course and sources for
environment and a lack of emotional stability can
insecurity and its effect on students' mental
directly affect how someone views themselves
health.
and their security.
Rapid
people
by
anxiety/insecurity has frequently been made and
insecure.
to
shaped
becoming
changes
in
the
Issue 1 | 43
Many of the veterans who see combat in war end
Attachment theory is an alternative description
up suffering from varying degrees of PTSD; 5.7%
for the cause of insecurity in teens and adults.
of Americans 13 and older develop PTSD during
Rather than attributing the formation of disorders
their lifetime, as well as approximately 8 million
to genetics, attachment theory leans on the effects
adults in the USA who have a PTSD diagnosis
of relationships during early development on
today.
one’s
long-term
mental
health.
Attachment
theory, as stated by Bowlby, dictates that, in order Some studies relating to school bullying and
to develop as a mentally healthy adult, the infant
PTSD and its relation to insecurity, have been
and young child should experience a warm,
undertaken, showing that boys were more likely
intimate and continuous relationship with his
to be exposed to bullying than girls, though PTSD
mother in which both find satisfaction and
symptoms were higher among female students.
enjoyment. Bowlby posited three—then later four
Bullying in schools has been found to cause
—different forms of attachment that can be
avoidant behaviour in students; for instance;
developed during infancy and childhood: secure
students who were bullied are more likely to
attachment,
avoid potential situations which could cause
avoidant-insecure attachment, and disorganised
insecurity to surface. Overall, PTSD is a major
insecure attachment. These groups were further
issue in modern society with numerous causes
studied
and various symptoms, one of which can present
avoidant, disorganised and anxious attachment.
as
According to researcher Julianne R. Urban, a
a
form
of
insecurity
through
avoidant
behaviour and fear of unfamiliar situations.
and
ambivalent-insecure
relabelled
by
some
attachment,
as
secure,
positive correlation can be found in individuals who have either anxious or avoidant attachment
Epigenetics
is
wherein
in their infancy and the development of anxiety
researchers examine changes in the function of
disorders. When they are older, these people are
the genes without the genes themselves having
often found to suffer from insecurity in groups
been altered, through a variety of outside sources
with low levels of cohesion, in turn, these adults
such as nutrition, stress and exposure to certain
with insecure attachment sometimes avoid groups
toxins
and isolate themselves showing many basic forms
(alcohol,
an
area
drugs,
of
etc.),
research
Epigenetics
can
influence mood and affect one's feelings of self-
of insecurity.
worth security and may lead to depression. Genetic factors have long been held as one of the
The typical stereotype of a teenager in modern
primary sources for psychiatric disorders, along
western society is of an irresponsible, lazy,
with emotional abuse, these factors are important.
disrespectful, rebellious and insecure person.
However, differences between identical twins’
There is little known as to why stereotypes form;
rates of disorders signify that other outside
though some consider it as a function to describe
sources must be partially or wholly responsible
aspects of social groups and explain relationships
for certain psychiatric disorders. Despite the area
between groups. Insecurity in teens has often
of
been linked to biological changes and the onset of
epigenetics
being
relatively
new
and
understudied, it can be stated that outside sources
(particularly
such as drugs, stress can lead to the development
developmental period in which changes occur in
of mental health issues such as depression anxiety
the brain-neuroendocrine processes and physical
and general insecurity.
characteristics, along with fluctuating
Issue 1 | 44
early)
puberty.
Puberty
is
the
concentrations of hormones. This culminates in
and potential future psychological issues amongst
reproductive
social
players and fans alike. The effects of online abuse,
construction of puberty in terms of definitions
trolling and criticism can affect all drastically
and expectations can vary from culture to culture.
reducing one’s mental health.
Due
to
maturity.
the
However,
physiological
and
the
psychological
changes being undertaken as well as social
In conclusion, insecurity is a major problem
pressures, many young people will suffer from
facing all sectors of modern society, it has
various
multiple causes attributed to everything from
forms
of
insecurity,
anxiety,
and
depression.
genetics, environment, PTSD, to the creation of modern technological advances such as social
It
has
been
estimated
users
networks. However, the extent to which one thing
worldwide spend on average two hours and
can be held as the singular cause is debatable,
twenty-five minutes per day on social media apps
insecurity
like Instagram, Snapchat and WeChat. Such apps
psychological, social, and cultural causes but
can be argued to be contributing to an impossible
whether one is more important is not clear. To a
standard of perfection, in terms of beauty,
certain extent, they will all play a significant part
affluence, and success into people’s devices at all
in the formation of a person's insecurity and
moments of one’s life. Social media represents a
anxiety. However, it should be considered that
false reality where people, celebrities, peers, and
while many people share similar symptoms, the
strangers can stage pictures to represent their
way a situation can affect each individual is
apparently perfect lives. People of all ages will
unique,
make
and
environment and genetics may not have the same
others, in relation to their wealth, success, figure,
equal influence on all individuals, and the extent
appearance, romance, and so on. This can have a
to which they may or may not because insecurity
detrimental
it
is dependent on the person affected. Overall,
misrepresents reality to such a severe degree
insecurity is a wide-ranging issue that clearly
people grow to loathe themselves, and become
affects all in different ways. The important thing
increasingly insecure, which can destroy one's
is to understand that the causes are many and
relationships as well as one's self-esteem.
intertwined, but that it is something that is
comparisons
effect
that
between
on
internet
themselves
people's
psyche
as
certainly
therefore
the
has
impact
deep-rooted
of
one’s
universal and one’s insecurities shouldn't be seen Anonymity is also an increasing issue on social
as a means to ostracize people.
media, the ability to create fake profiles and certain apps which are non-identifying, which can lead to a significant increase in bullying and brigading. Online bullying is something that can affect people from all walks of life and can significantly
decrease
people’s
self-worth,
sometimes to the point of suicide. In recent months, many major football clubs entered into a joint social media blackout to highlight the abuse which can be received online, hoping to effect some change in order to prevent mental fatigue Issue 1 | 45
ARTWORK BY TINA WU, YEAR 11, GELLHORN
Issue 1 | 46
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ARTWORK BY ESTELLE CHAN, YEAR 11, GELLHORN
Issue 1 | 50
CONTRIBUTORS Authors: Kylie Chan, Year 12, Anderson Anjeli de Blank, Year 12, Gellhorn Sophie Hunka, Year 13, Gellhorn Ellie Ip, Year 12, Keller Jamie Man, Year 12, Churchill Coco Sun, Year 12, Gellhorn Natalie Tse, Year 12, Keller Alysha Wong, Year 12, Keller Joshua Yen, Year 12, Shaftesbury Sabrina Yeung, Year 12, Keller Warren Zhu, Year 12, Churchill Editor in Chief: Anjeli de Blank, Year 12, Gellhorn Editors: Rhea Kundamal, Year 12, Gellhorn Nicole Lam, Year 13, Keller Jenny Park, Year 10, Wu Carol Yeung, Year 11, Keller Art Directors: Athena Chau, Year 12, Anderson Se Lyn Lim, Year 12, Wu Artists: Estelle Chan, Year 11, Gellhorn Hebe Cheuk, Year 12, Wu Rachel Li, Year 12, Wu Callum Sanders, Year 10, Shaftesbury Megan Siu, Year 11, Wu Tina Wu, Year 11, Gellhorn Kate Xiao, Year 10, Gellhorn Carol Yeung, Year 11, Keller Jennifer Zhou, Year 10, Gellhorn Academic Supervision: Mrs. Sharin Sikka, Teacher of Psychology
Issue 1 | 51
