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Declaration Form 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 2 Module Leader: Matt Gill Ref. no: FASH30002
I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University’s regulations on assessment contained in its handbook.
Signed .................................................................................................................... Date .......................................................................................................................
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Fig. 1 - Technosapien, 2013
'Almost everything in your life and every part of your life is in some relative rate of shift' (Houle 2013:3), whether this be personally or within society as a whole. The changes that are occurring in our society today truly have no equivalents to those of the past, in terms of pace, making the present situation unique, without parallel to the past (Mead in Land and Jarman 1993). In 1976 Toffler commented on how, in Western society for the past 300 years, we have ‘been caught up in a firestorm of change’ (Toffler 1976:11) and far from abating it has created a ‘current so powerful that it overturns institutions, shifts our values and shrivels our roots' (Toffler 1976:3). This rate of change in how we work, rest and play, although improving the living standards for many, is having a much more damaging effect on others. These changes stretch across environment, technology and social practices and in the past they disturbed our inner equilibrium, but the time between changes was sufficient for us to rebalance. Nowadays there isn’t such luxury, with the worrying truth that little is actually known about how we adapt to these changes ‘either by those who call for and create vast changes in our society or by those who supposedly prepare us the cope with those changes' (Toffler 1976:4). This is especially true of the companies who are bringing out new technology every few months and products which alter how we behave, both personally, and within society. With changes happening so fast, we don’t have time to adjust before we are asked to alter how we behave or think once again.
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Fig. 2 1in4, 2014
The constant readjustments we are forced to make adds pressure that, as a species, we were not designed to cope with. Any change of this speed, it is understandable, will have an impact on the mental wellbeing of many. Statistics now show that one in four people will experience a mental health condition within a single year (Guardian 2013: Online). However it is the younger generations, mainly Generation Y and Digital Natives*, that are ‘at the forefront of the massive changes taking place in society, from the rapidly changing youth culture to the advances in technology and communications’ (Hamilton 2009:67). Unfortunately this is leading to many experiencing mental health issues fuelled by the changes in society, with the statistics showing that one in ten young people are suffering mental health issues, at a time when they are supposed to be revelling in care free enjoyment (Young Minds 2014: Online) . Although Generation Y and the Digital Natives are said to have it better than any generation before them and they ‘may be the most affluent generation to walk the planet, it also has the dubious distinction of being the most insecure and depressed’ (Lindstorm in Hamilton 59: 2009).
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*Generation Y are people born between 1980 and 2000 and Digital Natives are people born between 2000 and the present. For this project when referring to these generations it will be looking at the younger ages in Generation Y and the older members of Digital natives with the focus being on teenagers and those in their early twenties.
Fig. 3 Mind Campaign, Unknown
With change inevitably comes glitches and 'every nation in the world is experiencing problems that it's citizens and governments are trying to solve'(Kotler and Roberto 1989:ix). However with many cases this has been unsuccessful, especially among younger generations who generally don’t listen to public messages(see fig. 3). The case of mental health is no exception. This is why to address this issue an alternative method of communicating with Generation Y and the Digital Natives needs to be implemented. Many would argue that it is peers who communicate the largest influence over the younger generations, but a close second are the brands they interact with. Currently it is the fear and anxiety that marketers exploit to boost sales, but it is high time they took responsibility for the part they have to play in the increase in mental health problems in young people (Hamilton 2009).
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One of the market sectors that have the biggest hold over Generation Y and the Digital Natives is the technology and communication companies. In the past ‘children learnt the way forward from adults. But there is no longer a clear link between one generation and the next, because popular culture and new technologies have left adults behind’ (Hamilton 2009: 3). Because of this parents’ of the younger generation are not aware of the harmful behaviours that are being adapted around technology and the effect this is having on their mental wellbeing, by creating pressures and added expectations. This shows it is not the technology which is causing the increasing pressures, but the behaviour that has been adapted around it. The technology brands need to acknowledge that it is their products which, maybe not intentionally but never the less, have created these harmful behaviours.
Fig. 4 Techno Hand, 2013
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Fig. 5- Girl with Glasses, 2013
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Fig. 6. Condon08, 2011
The aim of this project is to use a technology company to address the impact that their products and services are having on the mental health of Generation Y and Digital Natives. As this is not currently being done by any technology brand they can use it to create ‘places, moments, and media where they can enjoy people's devoted and undivided attention' (Himpe 2006:13). Trying to solve the issues surrounding mental health and technology will involve some sort of social change and altering the way individuals lead their lives by ‘transforming adverse or harmful practises into productive ones’ (Kotler and Roberto 1989:ix). However the key to success when trying to target younger generations with a message about their health, mental or physical, is not to preach to them. The key will be not to just furnish them with information and raise awareness, but to create a change in behaviour that is both effective and one they want to participate in (see fig. 7). This is often harder than just providing the information or creating a single action change as ‘people have to unlearn old habits, learn new habits, and maintain the new pattern of behaviour' (Kotler and Roberto 1989:19). By being sympathetic and taking a stand against how their products are affecting the mental health of the younger generation, it will create positive associations in consumers’ minds when deciding which brand to purchase from. In a world where rational buying is increasingly replaced by emotional shopping, any positive emotions channelled toward a brand will help create custom in a retail world where consumers are no longer brand loyal (Van den Bergh and Behrer 2011).
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Fig. 7. Condom08. 2011
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When carrying out secondary research it is important to get a variety of sources, both written and visual to inform ideas. Secondary research should include theories such as Tofler’s on changes in society but also up to date information on industries and consumers. When looking for information such as statistics’ websites, such as Young Minds was useful as it has up to date information on a specialist subject relevant to the project. To get this a balance of information, books, websites and videos where used to collect the relevant research. Primary research is vital in understanding industry, ideas and consumers. To get the information first hand allows specific questions to be asked and answered.
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What
Teenager Pressure Questionnaire
Who
When & Where
Online Survey 30 people, both teenagers and people in Starting on the 05.04.14 Until 05.05.14 their early twenties. Death Café
11.04.14
Wasted Spaces
28.04.14
Emails to industry
Consumer Profiles
Exhibition Visits
Leaflet Collection
5 consumers’ social media activity over a week.
Online following of the consumers.
Why To gage an understanding of the pressures that teenagers were under and who they felt were creating these pressures. To cross reference the findings with secondary research to confirm its relevance.
To look at an idea that started with a similar concept and created a non -profit company. To see how an idea can spread and allow people to take a concept and create their own space from it.
To see how it is possible to use space for free and how this could be adapted for this project. To see if the project could be taken and created physically. To get a look at how the consumers social media activity can be used to target them as a consumer segment. To get an inside view of how often the consumer posts on social media.
Martin Creed- What’s the Point of it?
To see how space can be used creatively and engage visitors. See South bank Centre , Hayward the use of technology in an exhibition Gallery space which makes the visitor 09.04.14 experience new.
Art in the Asylum: Creativity and the Evolution of Psychiatry
Lakeside, Djanogly Art Gallery 03.11.13
Physical resources on Mental health given to teenagers and young people.
Nottingham Trent University 13.02.14 Derby Connections Centre 22.02.14
To see how art and mental health have been linked over the past centuries and if this had any relevance in today’s society. Also to get an understanding of past treatments involving art.
To get a feel for the kind of information that is being given to teenagers and what the aim of that information was. To see how well charities and organisations are targeting teenagers about this issue.
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Fig. 8 I had a Black dog and his name was depression 1. 2005
Trying to tackle all mental health issues within Generation Y and the Digital Natives would be an unreasonable task. Therefore, because it is the impact of changes in society and our behaviours towards technology, it would be logical to look at those mental health problems that are most affected by lifestyle: Anxiety and Depression.
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Fig. 9- I had a Black dog and his name was depression 2. 2005
However, these are not new mental health problems which have been created by modern lifestyle. ‘Anxiety is an anticipation of the unknown’ (Becker 1996:214) and is a state as old as man, with the fight or flight response having allowed our species to survive and evolve. ‘Our ancestors were faced with very tangible threats to their safety' (Kennerley 2009:4), so the fight or flight response was appropriate. In the present day smaller stresses in our lives are still triggering the same responses, even though the day to day fight for species survival is no longer relevant. Today stress and anxiety are 'motivated by guilt, fear of abandonment, fear of inadequacy, fear of success and fear of failure' (Becker 1996:214). As society has developed, psychological anxiety has become the new form of stress. Whether the anxiety felt by the modern individual is physical or psychological, prolonged exposure can create mental health problems such as clinical anxiety and depression.
Fig. 10- I had a Black dog and his name was depression 3. 2005
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The increase in anxiety may also be due in part to the greater expectations now placed on young people and ‘there is no doubt that the pressure on the young is mounting’ (Hamilton 2009:61). Especially for those who are learning the pressures of modern life at a younger age (Becker 1996). The pressures and challenges of being a modern teenager far exceed those of any generation that has come before due to being at the forefront of many of the changes taking places in society (Hamilton 2009). However this isn’t to say that previous generations have been free of pressure. The battle between pleasing parents and being respected by peers is one as old as the teenager. 'A desire to be approved of, recognised, wanted, appreciated, valued, and respected’ (Gilbert 2000: 187) is often at the centre of teenagers’ worries and anxieties. These are often 'motivated by guilt, fear of abandonment, fear of inadequacy, fear of success and fear of failure’(Becker 1996:214). The next pages show, through both secondary and primary results, the pressures that are accumulating on teenagers and who is placing this pressure on them (fig. 13, 14, 15, Appendix pg. 116). As time passes it is as if layer after layer of pressure is being added, but none of the previous ones are being alleviated, creating a mountain under which the teenager has to not only survive but thrive.
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Fig. 12- Teenage Collage, Unknown
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Fig. 13 - Pressures 2014 33
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Fig. 16. Black and white Thinking, Unknown
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With all of this comes expectation. The 'expectations they have of themselves, and those they think others have of them, to excel and achieve’ (Ingham 2000:169) are often at the root of self-critical feelings, causing damage to their mental wellbeing. We have been in a ‘revolution of rising expectations' (Kotler and Roberto 1989: ix), with Generation Y and Digital Natives having grown up with it. They have incurred black and white thinking, 'expecting perfection in oneself: if it isn't perfect it isn't acceptable' (Williams 2003:18) and for them to expect this is to set oneself up for disappointment and further stress. If no action is taken we are at risk of reaching a point of no return, where the pressure and expectations placed on young people, will threaten how they develop and prevent them from leading a healthy life, both physically and mentally. Although many of the pressures incurred cannot be altered, there are some which they are putting unwittingly upon themselves. Teachers cannot tell them they don’t have to do well, parents won’t tell them they have no expectations and their peers refuse to tell them it doesn’t matter how they look. But one aspect where they could take control of expectations is online as some of the behaviour they have adapted around technology is causing more problems than many realise.
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When technology first started to enter our lives it was predicted that it would help to reduce our work load and improve our quality of life. In 1883 Lafargue stated that the machine was to be the saviour of humanity and redeem man from working, giving him leisure and liberty (Lafargue in Hatherley 2012; online). It is true to a certain extent that technology has made the jobs of many easier, but it has failed to deliver an increase in leisure. Instead any leisure time available is filled with the very thing that was supposed to liberate us. Technology is progressing at an astounding pace, with new avenues being explored to push our development to the maximum. But when it comes to the pressure of technology that teenagers are facing, it is more important to consider the rate at which this development is taking place and the stress this is incurring on teenagers, rather than the direction that technology is taking. There is a new social platform every six months, not replacing old ones but just adding to social expectations.
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Fig. 17- Social Media Spiral, 2014
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One of the main pressures that this incurs is the pressure to keep up with all acquaintances on every platform available, which has increased to practically a full time job. Whereas once you could simply forget someone you met on a weekend away, "left behind and eventually all but forgotten"(Toffler 1973: 96), now there is an increasing pressure to keep up near constant contact. This is not just for practical means but to share even the smallest revelation or thought. It is that small reassurance that there is someone out there who cares about what you have to say, and the faster they reply the more they care.
The younger generations’ constant attachment to technology seems to be fuelled, not only by the companies providing the products, but also by the demand of teenagers to have this constant connection. The researchers found a correlation between stress and constant availability via phones. Now the demand for availability via phones and other technology is not only fuelled by work but by social networking and an individual’s desire to be contacted. A study showed that this created a feeling of being trapped and unreturned messages leading to feelings of being overloaded and guilty (Thomme 2012:Online). This also created feelings of not being able to escape or be free from being contacted. In today’s society ‘freedom from the internet is so rare and exotic and impossible it is becoming a commodity: it's not iPhones or iPads we have to worry about buying but peace from them' (Roiphe 2013:219). This is especially true for Generation Y and Digital Natives who thrive on social media and the sharing of information (Williams 2013; Online).
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Fig. 18.- Cyber Bullying Unknown
This is not to say older generations aren’t using technology, but they grew up with an analogue youth and digital adulthood, whereas Generation Y and the Digital Natives have grown up in a completely digital world, and have adapted accordingly (Carr 2010). It is this gap in technological updates which is causing problems. Many parents are not aware of the full impact and consequences of the social uses of technology. There has been a great emphasis on protecting children and teenagers from what they are viewing online in the way of violence and pornography. But what are only just starting to be discovered are the dangers of the day to day interactions with technology and activity online. Parents are not aware of how social media is affecting the behaviour and mental health of their children. Obviously cyber bullying is an issue which has been addressed by both the government and charities, but it is not just this which is causing anxiety when it comes to social media.
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Generation Y and the Digital Natives thrive on social media and the sharing of information (Williams 2013; Online). 'Mark Zuckerberg has framed the mission of Facebook in terms of helping 'tell the story of your life' (Roiphe 2013:230). The problem is that now we have this pressure and ability to chronicle our lives like never before. One of the largest pressures, as a consequence of this, is that you have to be perceived to have an exciting and fun filled life. Social media profiles are like a CV, where they have to present themselves in the best possible light, although the outcome is not a job, but social acceptance (Weinstock 2014:Online). When expressing views and information online for the younger generations it is all about being loud and capitalised so every ‘piece of idle communication is as if you are stranded on a desert island, waving your arms and jumping up and down to get the attention of a passing plane' (Roiphe 2013:229). When other accounts, therefore lives, are brighter, shinier and more exciting than yours ‘feelings of insecurity, inadequacy and chronic cases of FOMO are bound to strike’ (Weinstock 2014: Online). The creation of social media has allowed others to view our lives through rose tinted glasses and only see the very best of each other, creating unrealistic expectations to how our lives should be live.
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Fig. 19 - Maslows Social Media Needs, 2014
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Yum! #stirfry #chinese #healthy #colour
Lunch #yum #mexican #foodporn #healthy #protein .... recipe on blog (link in bio)
Mmm bruschetta, chorizo, stuffed peppers, balsamic #lunch #food #foodporn #nottingham
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