Youth perspectives are not always well understood and accepted by other members of society. There’s a lack of mutual understanding between youths, due to limited avenues for social mixing of different educational streams and backgrounds.
How might we foster greater understanding of the challenges youth face and develop an appreciation of the strengths taken to overcome them? How can we involve parents and educators too?
SG Stories of Youth aims to raise awareness for youth-related issues, by compiling heartfelt and uncensored stories of everyday youth in a publication, and through their Instagram campaign @sgstoriesofyouth.
The publication promotes understanding of issues like mental health in youth and parents alike, helps struggling youths know that they are not alone, and shares practical strategies for overcoming challenges.
These stories are also used as education resources in partner schools, where they provide a basis for reflection on youth-related social issues, and equip students with the empathy and strategies to better support the people around them.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Knowing what information was available, greater accessibility to information and resources
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Whether the depth of concerns can be captured in short anecdotes, possibility of toxic positivity, how the information of individuals (youth especially) may be used in the future
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
More connections with people, its nice to hear from a person straight, instead of a faceless organisatoin - has a human touch!
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
How much impact it would truly have. Would it just be another fleeting story that the audience will forget about in a week? How can we convert the emotional appeal of these stories to something that would sustain in the long term?
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
knowing helpful things to say and what not to say
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
That the solutions apply to everyone who exhibit the same symptoms
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Supporting fri/ someone who will listen
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
That’s great. :)
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
More content and sources on where to get help and to talk about it.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Content will need to be sincere and authentic without being preachy and too instructional.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Friends who would understand and listen
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Variety in stories. Would they be too cliche?
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Someone to lean on and cry on
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
General public might not care enough about the plight of the young while schools have a toxic culture where students will just “heck care” and look through just so that they can get over and done with
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
I want a listening ear who doesn\'t always give me a solution to a problem every time I confide in them
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
maybe too formal/serious mood, makes people worry even more
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
I wished that there will be more support from adults I respect, like from Teachers or parents.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
I think it may be good for promoting understanding in schools, but maybe not so much of general public because of the choice of medium.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
people to talk to that can help make me feel less alone :/
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
censorship because we are still progressing as a nation to break the stigma and talk about topics that are traditionally more taboo to talk about
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Space. I think it is very important yet something difficult to get.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
I think physical interaction after those stories are told is needed. Just so more can be discussed.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Professional able to help me discover my mechanism in dealing with mental stress
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Not interested to read
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
They are not alone.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media,Not interested enough
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Good but people are more inclined towards videos now.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
something quick and easy to read like a brochure or a website!
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
it might come off as something too \"serious\" and not catch the eyes of your target audience - being humourous or interesting will be key
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Tips to help a friend with poor mental well-being
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
The tips shared may not be supported by psychiatrists or experts in the field.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A list of what not to say
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Has to straddle on a very thin line of being relevant and not triggering.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Free therapy
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
It doesn\'t really help other than just being fun to read
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
I wish there was a service where I could head to and ask for advices on how to handle my problems
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
It is an inevitable truth that social media platforms can be toxic at times. So some people might judge and spread hurtful comments on these platforms that might discourage other people who might relate to the stories from sharing theirs or even being afraid to seek help.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
An easy way on infographics on how to connect with them without saying the wrong thing.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Perhaps, how do you connect these youths who feel connected to the stories? What is the next step and what resources are they given
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
some advices on what should i do and words of encouragement.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
It might be too boring/ not enough interesting? Not so sure.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
knowing when they are being serious about the feelings they face or simply joking/being dramatic
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Not interested enough
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Bullying, stemming from greater awareness without greater kindness (e.g. wah she so thin. you think she\'s anorexic, like that girl we saw on insta? hehehaha)
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
What is expected of me vs reality. I wish there’s someone tell me that it’s okay not be reaching that expectation set by society. I hope to have more confidence in myself to not feel less about myself.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Their identities are going to be exposed. Might affect their future -career or meeting new friends.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Ready support groups to be able to share common topics
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Nil
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Money. So that I could get them the professional help they needed with trained professionals. Sometimes I feel that the best way to help someone is to get them professional help because I may not be equipped with the skills to help them effectively.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
My only concern is that these stories may over simplify the challenges associated with a person\'s scenarios as there is only so much you can pack into a story. it might mislead youths to think that the person\'s situation is less serious than theirs and that no one truly understands their circumstances.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
An affordable and instant accessible platform to talk to a professional immediately.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
How relatable are these stories and if the advices shared in these stories are properly curated before misleading youths who refer to it for help.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Mental health tips that are summarised into posts, etc.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
\"Triggering\" issues (such as self-harm, etc.) that might make some uncomfortable or cause some traumatic recollection of their own memories
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Peer support, competent mental health practitioners - counsellors in school are not always good at what they do
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
-
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
mental health knowledge
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
it might be an oversimplification of their struggles or journey and portraty unintended messages
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Research synthesis; evidence-based best practices
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
How representative / well-crafted will these stories be?
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A platform to talk about struggles and people that are there to tell me that I\'m not alone.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Firstly, short stories most likely would not be able to cover enough things about the issues youths are facing. There may also be people faking their stories and thinking \"it\'s a trend\" to have mental health issues just to get sympathy from others. Stories are very personal, many mental health issues are competitive so even though these stories can help raise awareness about mental health to the general public, it may also make people struggling with mental health think that they are not \"sick enough\" to get diagnosed or seek help. This would thus lead to people finding it hard to determine if they need professional help or not.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A professional to talk to or someone going through a similar experience.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
The methods used by one person to overcome their issues may not work for others that think they are in a similar situation.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
More time to cope with the situation. Understanding from people around me.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Too long. And might have trolls.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Someone who is more experienced in helping or actually gone through the same struggles before, who can help my friend who is struggling.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Anonymity.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
I wish I had choices to make new friends beyond my school that shares the same interest as me. E.g can study together as a group or join a sport outside school.
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives,Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
I think it is a good initiative for youth to know more about stuff like mental health issues and that they are not alone. It will also be good to have a avenue to reach out beyond school and parents. I feel teachers and parents are not the best person to approach when issues are faced as they are not sure how to deal with the situations although they might be more mature. I feel that a teacher or adult should not be confused with a psychologist as the latter have medical knowledge on how to provide support to students. Psychologist who have experiences meeting with patients of similar issues will be more relevant to growing up teens woes.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A one-stop platform for resources that I can consult to support people who are struggling
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would enjoy and spend time on both a physical publication and online alternatives
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Confidentiality issues (people featured may unknowingly share information that could reveal the identities of people around them, which will need to be curated carefully). Also, youth-related issues are often complex and not all ways of dealing with them may be applicable to others.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A friend
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Short stories may not be showing the full picture of things
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Real experiences from a fellow youth who might have similar struggles
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
The interpretation of the story could be misguided. Youth who reads these stories might use them as an \"excuse\" even if they might not be struggling from any mental health issue. Nonetheless stories are powerful medium to relay information across.
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
cheap therapy
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
concerned if anonymity promote fake stories
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
Knowing how to manage my / their struggles such as practicing mindfulness
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Too lengthy
In response to "What resources would you wish you had while you were struggling/while you were supporting someone who was struggling?"
A how to step by step guide to solve these struggles
In response to "Would you enjoy reading short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, their struggles, and how they overcame them? (from mental health to poverty to pursuing passions)"
Would only enjoy an e-book or short posts on social media ,Might read stories that catch my eye on social media
In response to "What would be your main concerns for using a compilation of short stories to promote understanding of youth-related issues? (Both in schools and for the general public)"
Too many short stories make issues seem repetitive and trivialise them. Public may read it for entertainment rather than the messages involved.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
This is a great initiative! Would be good to keep in mind that issues can be systemic and intersectional in nature. They can also be experienced differently by different people so solutions may not necessarily work universally. What are resources and solutions that are needed in place of this and look out for other initiatives/organisations to work with to scale solutions and access to resources.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I would say that a way to get the audience to continously remember you guys and get involved would be to have a call to action at each post. When asking them to take action, I feel that people are more likely to spend more time to reflect on these stories (because they start to consider whether to take the effort to carry out said action)! Putting in alot of effort in showcasing stories is one thing, but making sure the impact/the message really hits home would be a more challenging task that I am sure the team is up for!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Keep the story real, the truth that struggles may resurface but there is help around to overcome them
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I think it is a great idea. Key challenge for this initiative is the quality and consistency of the content. Maintaining engaging content and authentic voices without being too heavy handed is going to be difficult, and the consistency at creating the content will be challenging to manage as well. It might be great to think about open sourcing the creation and sharing of content and stories as well, with moderators assigned to help to review and curate the content being distributing to the community.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I think you can make it more towards a lighter note, not so serious vibe and something people can enjoy reading while, something like the concept of sg uncensored
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Instagram has a pretty wide age audience, at least compared to TikTok, but the audience is still generally young, judging from what I’ve seen, maybe around 30s average? However, a lot of the decision makers are much older than that, that includes school Teachers, parents, and even politicians or businessmen if we were to consider youth advocacy. This can be seen in the recent fossil free futures advocacy, which many university students feel are important. However, how the news got out was actually through news channels like straits times, and even then many authority figures were sharing it on Facebook. Many of them actually taunted the students, which clearly showed that social media campaigns from youth are not taken seriously, or maybe misinterpreted. I believe that in order for more people to understand about youth related issues, more has to be done physically, so I think it will be good to run physical campaigns and programmes with professionals working with you.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
short videos of people sharing their experiences and stories are nice. i feel like they make you feel less alone and sometimes show you that hope exists beyond your feeling of helplessness. and maybe having chat bots online / moderated group chats where people can turn to would be nice, especially during the darker hours of the night
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Physical communication right now is so important, especially with the youths using their phones 99.9% of the time. Take them out of that. Maybe go back to the old school way of interacting talking(physically) writing letters playing block catching.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Instead of a publication (which takes a longer time to develop, might be expensive and too serious for the youth you want to read it), how about a zine published monthly or bi-yearly? We all know youth have short attention spans, but focusing on insights and solutions from experts might draw in more readers as well. The pilot publication looks interesting, but as a studying graphic designer I can unfortunately say it would not retain attention. Your project brings to mind one by the Singapore communication design industry aiming to find out more about the industry and community, https://www.dontmindif.com/ Not a plug! But the way they feature insights and stories is appealing and might be able to bring your project up a level. Helping youth understand why they want to start making a change will also be beneficial, if they don\'t understand the issue or how the solution can help, why would they make a change? If you\'ve seen the video on gratitude journaling by kurzgesagt, you might know what I mean - explain how a solution can fix a problem or can improve your life. Interesting project, all the best!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Make a podcast and mini-TV series to complement your Instagram!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Education of how to handle situations when individual faces adversity and when friend does or someone around you does.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
It is a very heartfelt initiative. But you guys have to be careful of hurtful comments that might circulate. Therefore , you guys can look into creating a safer space for people to share their story. Maybe a website where people can discuss issues regarding the stories posted( it will be easier for you guys to filter comments). Also these websites can contain practical yet simple methods or advices on how to take care of people who might be going through some mental health issues.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Perhaps, how do you connect these youths who feel connected to the stories? What is the next step and what resources are they given
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I love the stories and diverse representation on your instagram; I\'ll follow and learn more about these youths and their stories. However, I am slightly worried about the methodology itself. Using multiple case studies does help to raise awareness about issues that may not be so prevalent for the general population; however, what are the impacts of this increased awareness? With more people aware of such challenges faced by their fellow youths, will labelling of individuals based on their disabilities/challenges, regardless of whether they have overcome them or not, increase? Does showing the top X% who have successfully overcome their challenges really help the bottom X% who are facing the same challenges? Are their circumstances similar? Would sharing stories of youths really help parents? Wouldn\'t organising parent sharing session (with parents of abovementioned youths) help more? Just a theoretical warning on possible issues based on the scope and a few thoughts, hope it helps! Look forward to more stories on your instagram :)
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Consider including some learning points at the end of each story to help readers make sense of what they can do or actions they can take to address their challenges. This way, youths can mix and match from a series of actions from the different stories to put together a plan that they work best for them.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I think this idea is great as a platform of sharing woes and advices. And when expanded, it will generate great data to help understand critical youth related issues and provide better help. One thing is a professional may need to be involved in the curating process of the stories published to ensure they do not have content that will induced any detrimental outcomes to youth reading it.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Summarise the information into bite-sized posts, and perhaps for the more triggering topics, set a fixed schedule for it or a certain design for the post so users know when and what type of post to avoid for their triggers.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Not clear where the stories would come from. A \'NUSWhispers\' channel where youths can submit their challenges/ask for help, or through the social circle of editors a la Humans of New York?
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I think I saw your IG page before and enjoy the content! thank you for your work!! :) perhaps one thing you can explore is to have IG live conversations with featured people who are comfortable to speak openly about their issues/challenges!! could even explore the use of discord or twitch! this would be more interactive with a live Q&A! Beyond visual and text-based content, perhaps you could explore podcast/video content/ tiktok content to reach out to more youths!!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
1. While IG is a good start, I noticed you are considering a physical publication / e-book. Consider other forms of emergent media, such as a podcast, audiobook, or Substack newsletter, which may actually have greater reach, allow for more iterative and response content development, and lower production costs. 2. Stories are powerful but they can also end up perpetuating certain myths and stereotypes about mental health. It is important that the framing of these stories is informed by evidence-based research.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
If they are willing, publish videos of people talking about their struggles instead. This would make people struggling with mental health feel that there are actual people out there that are also going through the same thing.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Apart from sharing positive stories and outcomes, perhaps it is worth sharing those that are still going through the struggle to show the reader that they indeed are not alone and that people are here to grow together. Instead of showing only success stories that, though have their own merit of spreading positivity, may paint an unrealistic picture. In addition, it would be a good way to raise awareness among parents regarding the real struggles the youth are currently facing.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Think about how you can differentiate yourselves from nuswhispers and how you can mitigate insensitive and hurtful comments from the public on these posts that will hurt the person sharing those stories.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
With regards to the idea of short, uplifting stories of everyday Singaporean youth, perhaps ensuring that the stories are anonymous might be better. Although the youths may find it alright to disclose their identities while sharing their stories, the Internet is full of people with different mindsets and personalities. For example, trolls or cyber-bullies can easily search for the youths\' social media accounts to stalk or even harass them, compromising the youths\' privacy and causing unnecessary stress. If their personal details must be included in the stories, giving them a pseudonym/\"fake name\" could be recommended, alongside with their age and school/occupation. That way, no one\'s mental health and well-being will be further compromised by the disclosure of identity within those inspiring stories!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I think a section in the publication can be provided for teens to reach out to real time help. I think more counsellors should be trained to guide teens towards reaching their goals in school rather than providing enforcement which I feel is less helpful. Sometimes parents, teachers, friends are not the best source of help to turn to. A professionally trained psychologist / psychiatrist/ counsellor can provide some guiding path to helping teens find their directions again. Also school bullying is another thing students might be afraid to speak up. I think having more voice to stand up is also helpful for the teens.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
I checked out your Instagram channel, loving the content and the attractive social media posts. Noticed that a lot of people featured are towards the younger side of the youth spectrum. The youth spectrum is pretty huge in Singapore, and it will be good to feature stories from youths on the older part of the age spectrum (>30) if you want to cover the youth spectrum. Also, it may be good to focus on and specialize in certain themes. Youth stories and issues is a broad topic, and heading down in this angle could make the team (and stories featured) lose focus. Recommend to start small and deep, build an audience first before expanding. All the best!
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Partner with schools and set up booths for roadshows. Could also follow up with a human library.
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Target audience is a little confusing for me. youths or other members of society?
In response to "How Can We Improve?"
Use other social media platforms such as Facebook as well
