TOPIC 2:

VISUAL EMPATHY TO FOSTER DIGITAL INTIMACY & PREVENT YOUTH BULLYING

Victoria PotenteDirected Research – Spring 2015 | Rodger Guilfoyle

STATEMENT:

Bullying victims can no longer escape identity-damaging words in the digital age. Government legislates that schools have educational programs for youth and faculty. Support groups offer programs, resources, and online forums to share youths’ creative expressions and testimonials. However, the content doesn’t visually connect well. Online platforms can be redesigned to foster deeper engagement and connection.

“Could a greater moment take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant.” - Henry David Thoreau

American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor,

historian, & leading transcendentalist (1817 – 1862)

“A friend is someone who knows you in depth, not someone who has collected you like an electronic playing card.” - John David Ebert

The New Media Invasion: Digital Technologies and the world they Unmake

STATS BEHIND BULLYING

4,500 teens commit suicide each year

⌃160,000 bullied kids miss school each day

⌃280,000 kids are physically attacked each day

every

7 min

a child is bullied on the playground

Cyberbullying victims almost twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to youth who do not experience it

Concern/severity increased over past 20 yrs; factors include:

• Larger classrooms and budgetary cuts in school (less time for teacher’s to connect with students)

• Break-down of family structure (stable environment), parent involvement, and parents not willing to take

responsibility for their children’s actions or discipline – can even encourage behavior

• Decrease in social skill development, such as empathy, teamwork, leadership, and communication

• Overexposure to social media (over sharing opens the door to bullying)

SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN CHAMPIONING INNER BEAUTY

”NYC GIRL’S PROJECT" by Samantha Levine

• First city in nation to tackle girls’ self-esteem and body image• Girls young as 6 and 7 struggle with self-esteem and body image • Over 80% of 10-yr old girls are afraid of being fat; 40-70% are dissatisfied with two or more body parts• Mayor Bloomberg launched to combat the very serious health impacts of a negative image, such as

obesity, eating disorders, alcohol use and teen pregnancy• Initiative to help girls believe value comes from character, skills, and attributes – not appearance

Images: Copyright 2014 The City of New York

SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS CHAMPIONING REALNESS/AUTHENTICITY

Dove ”SELFIE” & Other Real Beauty Campaigns

Director: Cynthia Wade | Producer: Sharon Liese | Production Company: Recommended Media

CREATIVE ANTI-BULLYING VIDEO – “SHARE IT TO END IT”

http://shareittoendit.com/

To make a point about bullying, video gets shorter every time you share it on Facebook;

Launched by Singapore's Coalition Against Bullying for Children and YouthCreated by JWT Singapore (creative agency) - Juhi Kalia, Executive Creative Director

HYPOTHESIS:

Employing visual empathy can create online communities that engage with youths more intimately, making anti-bullying messages relatable to this audience. Building user experiences that cater to the youth will encourage participation, and deeper, more personal connections, anonymously; striving to offer more intimate support platforms to elicit empathy with one another, gain acceptance, and lull bullying’s effects.