Framing Reality
Capturing Moments, Nurturing Mental Health for Students from 13 to 18
Report by Joyce Lai and Merle Lehmann-Korn
YoungPeople's OveruseofSocial MediaanLeadTo ConcerningOutcomes
With the aim of encouraging young people to be more engaged in the real world, we seek to emphasize the importance of maintaining a balance in care regarding social media use and real-life connections. We aim to understand what brings joy to teenagers aged 15 to 20, what inspires them, and what is important to them. Our goal is to learn how to collaborate in the best possible way for all participants, enabling behavior changes that lead to more positive moments and good mental health.
CareProblemContext
Focus Online World vs. Real World
In today's digital age, many teenagers find themselves immersed in social media and various online applications for extended periods. While these platforms offer virtual connectivity, their overuse can lead to concerning outcomes, including feelings of loneliness, dependency, heightened anxiety, depression, a sense of isolation, and the pervasive fear of missing out (FOMO). In addition, research indicates that internet connections cannot replace real-life interactions, which are more fulfilling.
From a broader systems perspective, various economic, social, political, and cultural factors contribute to this issue. Economically, the digital industry thrives on engagement metrics, creating an incentive for platforms to design addictive features that may contribute to overuse. At the same time, medical companies are earning money through services offered for the treatment of mental health issues that result out of lack for balance and self-care. Socially, the influence of social media shapes societal norms and expectations. Offers for real life social connections are needed on a low key level, making it possible for a lot of teeagers to attend. Politically, the regulatory landscape often struggles to keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, leaving gaps in protecting the well-being of young users, giving no time for self reflection. Politics of different countries have noticed this problem and are trying to draw attention to this, but social connection offers cost money, that is often not provided. Often these offers have to be provided and sponsored by private organisations or people. Culturally, the constant connectivity offered by social media has altered communication dynamics and interpersonal relationships, influencing the way teenagers form connections. Experiencing moments in real life though seems to be still more fulfilling and makes them happier. In the long term, isolations in real life and being less engaged in the real wordl can become a problem for society as a whole, because if more and more people withdraw, care less for their surrounding in real life, this makes society fragile.
Balance
Young people need to balance social media and real-life interactions, blending online learning with physical experiences for a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle.
Self-Care
Awareness of socialization methods is key in navigating diverse interactions, understanding cultural nuances, and building meaningful relationships in both digital and physical communities.
Mental health
Balancing digital and real-world experiences is crucial in lowering mental health risks, fostering resilience, and promoting a healthier, more connected lifestyle.
CareProblemContext
Teenagers’ Relationships with Social Media
Students aged 15 to 20 are one of the primary users of social media platforms. The unmet need lies in addressing the self-care of teenagers, providing support to notice specific behaviors and providing opportunities for behavior change and engagement in the real world. While it's easy for teenagers to stay connected with friends also over distances, it also makes them feel sadder and lonelier. One major problem is social comparison online, which often makes them feel not good enough. Social media has also become young people’s coping mechanism when things happen. Our research shows that many teenagers feel more anxious, sad, and lonely because of their social media habits. Studies say that using screens a lot and seeing certain things online can make mental health worse. Talking directly to teenagers through interviews and surveys, we found out that they really want real and meaningful connections, but it's hard for them to find a good balance because social media could be addictive. Our goal is to find ways to help teenagers recognize and deal with these challenges, therefore, they can have better online and offline experiences and take care of themselves in a healthier way.
Only 34%
Of Teens that use social media enjoy it a lot
70 %
Of Teens and young adults in the US have a social media addiction
● Social media has become young people’s coping mechanism when things happen.
● Social media is easy to access for young people to maintain friendships
● Social media increases depression and loneliness.
● A big problem is social comparison
social media users say that staying in touch with current friends and family members is a major reason they use social media sites who spend the most time on social media were shown to have a higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time
Respondents say they are likely to compare themselves to others on social media
ResearchProcessStart
Mental health of Teenagers
Joyce, an industrial design student, started her project with a focus on the "Mental Health of Teenagers" and later directed her attention towards how teenagers use social media and its effects on their well-being. This often-discussed topic, which has seen little action, caught both her and Merle's attention. It raised concerns about how teenagers balance their time on social media with real-life friendships and activities. Their project highlighted the importance of teenagers using social media healthily and emphasized the significance of connecting with people in real life. This focus eventually evolved into their final concept, "Framing Reality.”
Loneliness and connections
Merle, an industrial design student, aimed to delve into the issue of loneliness and the (re)building of connections in her research in the CareLab class. Loneliness, characterized by a perceived gap between desired and actual social relationships, is a state of mind that affects one's own well-being. Distinguishing it from social isolation, which is not inherently negative, with conscious solitude having positive impacts. However, the global surge in loneliness, affecting both young and old, stems from modernization, digitization, urbanization, and increased mobility. Factors such as smaller, geographically distant families contribute to the loneliness experienced. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated this loneliness. Loneliness impacts people across all generations. Recognizing its prevalence, she draw from personal and professional experiences, such as at the child care phone, highlighting its relevance for younger individuals. Loneliness induces feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and isolation, often resulting in a self-perpetuating cycle. To address this, she aims to explore evidence-based interventions, potentially involving activities fostering small social connections and open communication to alleviate stress, contributing to the broader understanding recommended by the World Health Organization.
SelectedCommunity
Why
We're reaching out to teens aged 15 to 20 to learn about what inspires and matters to them when it comes to changing behaviors, having digital experiences and engaging in real life. Teenagers in this age group are actively involved in the online world for various reasons. Social media, in particular, plays a crucial role in helping them build and maintain relationships, providing a significant space for shaping their identity. Online expression is important to them, and the instant feedback, like receiving likes, boosts their confidence. Beyond just socializing, the internet serves as a source of entertainment and learning. However, it can also serve as a way to avoid dealing with real-life challenges. The fear of missing out (FOMO) and peer pressure often keep them hooked to popular platforms. Creative outlets like TikTok and Instagram are popular, and some use the internet as a means of networking.
Having a good balance between online life and real-world interactions is vital. We've talked to experts and realized we need something special for young people to help them engage more with the real world. There are digital tools like apps, but we want to introduce something more physical.
For example, Finch is an app where you look after a virtual pet by taking care of yourself. It's great for kids and teens, especially those who find self-care hard, like with depression. The app makes self-care easier. While real socializing can be tough, caring for a virtual pet isn't. It cleverly gets you to do small real-life tasks.
In Vienna, there's a cool bus stop as part of a city culture program. It's a social design example where a seesaw at the bus stop changes how people feel and act while waiting, making the time less stressful and more fun.
Young People Community
Age 15-20 years old
Location United States
Occupation Student
StakeholdersDiagram
Key Stakeholders
To better understand our project on teenagers' well-being, we created a clear diagram showing how different people and groups are connected to our topic. In a yellow section, we listed the key people who have a direct impact on teenagers aged 15 to 20. This includes the teens themselves, their friends, family, teachers, and other influential figures in their lives. Next, in a green section, we added groups that are closely involved, like their schools and colleagues at work, who also play a significant role. Lastly, in a purple section, we noted other groups that are related to our project but not as directly involved. These could be community organizations, local businesses, or health professionals. This chart helps us visualize the network around our project, showing us who is most affected by it and who can help us make a positive change in the lives of these teenagers. It's a crucial step in ensuring our project reaches and benefits the right people.
InterviewswithTNSStudents
Introduction of what we are doing
Hello, we are students from the class called CARELAB and we are doing research for our project that is related to the balance between social media use and real-life connections. Can we talk to you?
● How old are you? Where are you from? What grade are you in?
● Would you be interested in being our interviewee for this project? The questions will be about social media use and real-life connections.
Thank you for participating in the interview. We’ll be asking 10 questions and your answers will be incredibly helpful for our research process. Are you comfortable with us taking notes during the interview?
1. What’s your screen time on average now or in the past when you were 15-20?
2. How do you use social media? What do you use it for primarily?
3. How many hours do you spend on social media and how many hours with people in real life daily? Why?
4. How does social media create an impact on your life? How do you feel about the way you interact with social media? Do you find it negative or positive? Why?
5. If you find using social media negative, what methods/changes have you tried to use less?
6. Do/Did you find it difficult to connect with people in real life? Why?
7. What methods/changes have you tried in order to connect with people in real life?
8. What do you think can help you connect with people or friends in real life?
9. What kind of art or design activities do you enjoy?
10. Would you like to participate in a workshop to brainstorm and create some ideas about how people teenagers and young adults can connect with each other offline and how digital platforms can encourage that?
First interviewee : 19 years, from Nebraska, fashion sophomore
1. 7 hours
2. Creative outlet, meeting friends
3. Daily two hours on social media, I spend more time with friends, but I am bad at answering texts
4. Both positive and negative, more problems younger to distance from social media, hinders, more negative
5. Moved, life got more hectic more things to do in real life
6. Not really
7. Social anxiety, try to do things where are more people
8. Venues, shows music, art, fashion
9. Drawing, upcycling, printmaking, film
10. yeah
Second interviewee : 22 years, from Atlanta, fashion senior
1. 5-7 hours
2. For Insta, Twitter, rather than interacting I check on other people, taking in our day to day basis
3. In real life 2 hours (I am an introvert), 5 hours on social media
4. In general it depends on the person, I grew up with the internet and saw best and worst. Over time I became better to not judge and observe more(not positive or negative) good: contact to distant friends
5. More and more less
6. No, I am just aquiet person, an introvert, I dont like people
7. I ask classmates to do things on the weekend
8. Social media, see what events there are
9. Drawing, sewing, experimenting, fabric manipulations
10. I would, if I have time
Third interviewee : 21 years, from Taiwan, communication design senior
1. ⅘ hours, 6/7 h when I was younger
2. Connecting, updated about friends, talking, High school friend, posting (instagram)
3. More accessible, requires less time, prefer interacting in real life more, does not register in mind, call me prefer – deeper Depends on the day and how busy he is; everyday 4h real engaging, social media 2-3h passive (depends)
4. Negative, you absorb so much infos on social media, not good for mental health, hard to leave, is so integrated in social life..catching up, without it so much more effort, difficult to not use it
5. Bored just be on phone, flora (plant focus tree, cant use phone for 40 mins) during high school
6. More hesitant to reach out in person than on social media ( reject people dont know – shield somehow)
7. Does not like texting, possible physically would hang out
8. Depends on person, confidence, extrovert or introvert, different types of interactions, wish to be able to more
9. Graphic design, drawing, sketching,(ai no scared, funny)
10. yeah
InterviewwithExpert
Introduction of what we are doing
Hello, we are students from a class called CARELAB and we are doing research for our project that is related to the balance between social media use and real-life connections. Thank you for your time!
1. What communities do you work with? Can you tell us a bit about your work?
I worked with different communities, currently with adults with mental illnesses like depression, anxiety disorder, stress, trauma – outpatients, we meet once a week and do therapeutic exercises, but I have also worked with children in that field.
2. How do you experience children/adolescents' use of digital media?
Very often. When people are not doing well they tend to use too much social media. On the one hand it is helpful because contact is easier to establish with others, but on the other hand social media can be used as an escape world.
Forums can be helpful for exchange, to find others with similar interests/problems – realize that you are not alone, but there are also forums i.e. for eating disorder that worsen the health. People are differently. It always depends on the amount of social media use.
3. How do Teens build connections in real life?
Teens meet others at school, work, in their free time, volunteering (firefighting), through friends, sports, hobbies, at school. Generally they speak with other people, find similar interests and then meet at another place, after time they become friends.
4. Do you think social media can have an impact on children/adolescents' mental health?
Yes, comparisons are a big problem. Comparisons on social media can increase depression. On social media people tend to only present their good sides. When they have fears they tend to escape into a fantasy world, that cannot replace real relationships.
1. What do you think are the advantages of the use of social media? What are the advantages of building connections in real life?
Social media: Easier, contact over distance is possible, easier to find like-minded people; Real life: see the real person with advantages and disadvantages, not only selected part, experiencing, trying something together, different (deeper) connection, more emotional not is everything smooth.
2. How are connections built usually? What are the biggest challenges to connect with people in real life?
(answer 3) Challenges are fears, no time, no opportunities, distances..
3. Do you think being able to connect with people in real life is important to children/adolescents?
Why?
Yes, very much! It is important for their mental health to have relationships, to have a part in life, without being able to connect, people are unable to live in our society.
4. What kind of support do you offer when children/adolescents overuse social media? How do you help them be more able to connect in real life? Are there any tools?
Addiction treatment, figuring out motivational strengths (advantages and disadvantages), change behaviors through motivational strengths, find strategies, ask why they would want to change, what happens if something changed…
5. Have you tried any methods related to artwork to support them? What kind of art or design activities can help them connect with people better?
Paint how their life would look like if they changed something; draw hobbies.
6. Any suggestions for us?
Another method that can be nice is the time pie (how much time to I spent in reality on.., how much time do I wish to spend on..)(visible in the picture on the top right)
There a AI programs where you can build an Avatar for the changed future life, it can be inspiring.
InterviewInsights
Key Insights
We discovered that two of the interviewees had negative feelings about using social media. They prefer spending time with friends in person instead of constantly texting. On the flip side, one interviewee mentioned that social media helps her gain knowledge and learn new things. In the end, all of them showed interest in taking part in art or craft-based community engagement workshops to delve deeper into the problem of youth overusing social media.
Students (3 TNS students)
Problems
Interviewees were shocked and embarrassed when they looked at their screen time, some also think social media has negative effects on them.
+Social media
One interviewee thinks social media helps her gain knowledge. All of them said it helps them be up to date with daily information and it helps to stay connected to friends.
+Real Life
All interviewees are interested in community engagement activities
Expert (one psychologist)
Problems
Comparisons are a problem, escaping into a fantasy world cannot replace real relationships
+Social media
Easier to find like-minded people, connection over distance
+Real Life
Deeper connections, see the whole person not just selected parts
Behavior change?
Finding out motivational strengths
CommunityEngagement
Reality Rave
Concept – Who am I? The future me
Insights and our Result
Through organizing this workshop, we got more insights straight from the community. We asked participants to use real materials to draw their online experiences and use AI to create their favorite real-life activities. This let them express their thoughts in a creative and enjoyable way. Also, we made sure to keep the activity simple so that it didn't feel burdensome or mandatory, which turned out to be crucial for the workshop's success. Even though some participants didn't know each other initially, they felt comfortable sharing their experiences and discussing openly by the end.
We created a space at The New School and invited students to participate in our activity: Reality Rave. The topic was: Who am I? The future me. We wanted to give students space to use art to talk about how they feel about social media. Each student got a piece of paper to draw their feelings and experiences with social media. After drawing, they shared what they drew with the group. Next, we asked them about their favorite things to do outside of the internet. To visualize this we gave them a laptop to make a digital AI generated picture of these activities. Our goal was to let them draw their online experience and generate online their real world hobby to open up more room for reflection and discussion. Comparing their drawings and the digital pictures, students thought about their online and real-life experiences.
CommunityEngagementResults
Draw online experience with color pens & papers
Generate images of favorite real-life activity with AI
Feedback insights
● All of the participants have negative feelings about internet use
● Most of participants desire outdoor activities
● Being able to enjoy things without any concern or burden is the key
Quotes
● “Internet is so predictable because there’s algorithm tracking you, knowing exactly what you want to see.”
● “You sometimes lost the reality of what you are trying to experience. Is it the place you are going or or the pictures you are trying to take
ConceptDevelopment
Brainstorming
Following our community engagement workshop, Reality Rave, we delved into various concepts and stumbled upon the intriguing notion of "Physical Social Media." This idea sparked excitement and inspiration as we considered the possibility of applying a similar approach to capturing real-life moments. This led us to the exciting prospect of utilizing physical mini frames. The concept holds great potential, offering a tangible and creative way to encapsulate and share meaningful experiences in the physical realm. We envision these mini frames as a bridge between the digital and real worlds, allowing individuals to curate and showcase moments that matter most to them. In this context, we drew inspiration from the iconic Polaroid instant camera, introducing the concept of using physical mini frames to showcase instantly sights in the moment. This exploration aligns with our commitment to finding accessible and engaging ways to navigate the balance between the online and offline dimensions of our lives, fostering connections and cherishing real-life moments in a tangible and meaningful manner.
FramingReality
Concept Proposal
Framing Reality is an invitation to rediscover and reframe reality digital free.
It is for schools or educational institutions. Teachers can order Framing Reality for their students. Every student receives 3 frames. These frames can be placed to capture and highlight special objects and discoveries. They encourage them to explore the city, find beauty in everyday things, and take a break from the digital world.
Teachers determine the designated area. Optionally they can also do this exploration with an overarching theme. Enclosed follow-up questionnaires can be inspiring for the students.
Our aim is to encourage students to take this new perspective and provide tools to assist teachers in their efforts, enhancing both academic growth and mental well-being of their students.
Framing Reality consists of a kit, as shown on the right. The box contains 3 frames for each of the students, as well as instructions for the teacher with tips and helpful introductory questions on the topic. It contains the follow up questionnaires for the students that can help them to self-reflect on their experiences or inspire them for their future.
FramingReality
Instruction
FramingReality CapturingMoments, ByNurturingyourstudentsMentalHealth. JoyceLaiandMerleLehmann-Korn
FramingReality
Implementation in the classroom
Step 1
Talk with students about their social media use (screen time)
Step 2
Ask: What are their favourite hobbies? Step 3 Self reflection discussion
Step 4
Introduce the activity and hand out frames
Step 5
Students explore outside and capture moments in real life by putting the frames
Step 6
Teachers document the activity by taking pictures
Step 7
Students fill out sheets to reflect on the activity and behavior
Step 8
Assist students in their aspirations for behavioral transformation and cultivating mindfulness
FramingReality
Invitation to engage with the real world
Digital-free action
Framing Reality is versatile and can be applied for various subjects. Teachers i.e. can choose questions that align with a specific curriculum for optimal integration. Additionally, customization is imaginable by adapting both the questions and frames to better suit specific needs.
Framing Reality helps students to reconnect and be more engaged with and in the real world. Through this concept students get invited to explore the outside and maybe the will notice previously unnoticed details. The reflection can give them inspiration for behavior change and provides a sustained invitation and affordable opportunity to become more curious and creative again, explore and enjoy the beauty of moments and small things or sights in the real world –to frame the reality!
Each student receives 3 frames to put on things or views that they find interesting during exploration
Simple
No digital devices, only physical exploration in the designated area by instructors.
Inspiring
After the exploration, students answer probing questions about their framed experiences outside the classroom
Fun
FramingReality
Feedback
discovering small to other people that were
Next Steps
Firstly, we would seek potential partners like middle schools and high schools for collaboration. This involves establishing connections with educational institutions to broaden the impact of the initiative. Secondly, streamline the user sequence, ensuring that the implementation process is straightforward and user-friendly. Simplifying the steps enhances the ease of adoption for participants. Lastly, we would explore scaling options through either building an Instagram page or creating a website. This decision involves considering the preferred platform for reaching the target audience effectively. By taking these steps, the initiative aims to expand its reach, enhance user experience, and explore diverse avenues for sharing information and fostering engagement.
Resources
Primary Research Sources:
3 TNS student interviewees, 4 TNS school student engagement activity participants, 2 test persons throughout the process, one expert
Secondary Research Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9348095/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10418842/
https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-018-1459-x
https://extension.umn.edu/mental-health/childrens-mental-health-case-studies
https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/social-media-use-increases-depression-and-loneli ness
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071468/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7889518/
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-021-03350-8
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9817115/
https://www.tagesschau.de/thema/einsamkeit
https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depression/
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2011/12/22/using-social-media-to-keep-in-t ouch/#:~:text=Roughly%20two%20thirds%20(67%25),to%20reconnect%20with%20ol d%20friends.