Representation Research

 Research on representation allows me to understand how social media addiction is depicted in animated shorts, campaigns, and media targeted at youth. This understanding helps me create characters and scenarios that are authentic, relatable, and responsible while effectively conveying the film's social message.

I analysed a range of films and media texts that explore digital dependency, mental health, and youth behaviour. Common representational patterns include:


 Emotional Detachment

Characters are often shown:

  • isolated
  • distracted
  • unable to connect in real-world spaces
  • physically present but mentally absent

This is usually communicated through:

  • downward eye-lines
  • hunched posture
  • duller colour palettes in “real life” scenes
  • high-contrast neon colours in digital scenes

This visual contrast symbolises the split between real vs digital identity.


 Representation in Animated Short Films

Animated films tend to use exaggeration and metaphor to represent psychological states.

From analysing examples on YouTube, several patterns emerge:


A. Phones as Controlling Entities

Phones often gain monstrous, oversized, or puppet-like characteristics, representing:

  • control
  • power imbalance
  • dependency

This inspired the idea of possibly animating the phone in my film as an exaggerated or symbolic figure.


B. Personification of Emotions

Animations frequently represent:

  • anxiety as shadows
  • addiction to glowing screens
  • pressure as visual distortions
  • overstimulation through rapid, glitchy imagery

These metaphors help communicate internal states without dialogue.



Representation of Youth & Technology

Young people are frequently depicted in the media as:

  • heavy phone users
  • distracted or overstimulated
  • influenced by online validation
  • struggling with self-image, identity, and social pressures

However, modern representations also show:

  • youth awareness of digital wellbeing
  • movement toward healthy habits
  • critique of digital culture

My film aims to balance realism with sensitivity by showing both vulnerability and potential recovery.


 Stereotypes and Challenges

Representation research also highlights common stereotypes:

Negative Stereotypes

  • “Teenagers are lazy and obsessed with their phones.”
  • “Young people cannot communicate face-to-face.”
  • “Social media causes all mental health issues.”

Risks of Reinforcing Stereotypes

If not handled carefully, the film could:

  • oversimplify addiction
  • Blame the user instead of the system
  • portray young people as helpless or irresponsible

To avoid this, I plan to portray the protagonist with empathy, emphasising systemic pressures (notifications, algorithms) rather than blaming individual weakness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction

  Welcome to Media studies A-level advanced portfolio- my name is Mariya and I chose to create a short film as the main component of my cross-media production. The brief required me to produce a short film lasting approximately five minutes, accompanied by a supporting website to promote the film and engage a defined target audience. This project represents the culmination of the skills, theoretical knowledge, and creative development I have built over the course of my media studies. The short film is an original narrative concept that explores Mobile addiction which leads to anxiety and isolation, aimed at a [teenagers and young adults target audience, e.g., 16–25-year-old] audience with an interest in social realism. My goal was to construct a compelling and emotionally resonant story using appropriate codes and conventions of short film narrative structure, animation, editing, and sound design.
Read more

Research task: Genre

Image
Last year, my team and I created a thriller short film opening that featured no violence and used limited props. This year, I decided to take a different approach by focusing on a more realistic topic. I wanted something that addresses a real-life issue and feels relatable to people my age. Initially, I planned to explore psychological problems like depression or anxiety. However, while drafting a brief plan, I realized the storyline felt predictable and too similar to many projects that had already been done. I then decided to stay within psychology but shift my focus to a different issue: social media and phone addiction. I also wanted to show how this addiction can connect to or even cause other psychological challenges. I found this topic especially engaging because it lets me address multiple psychological issues through a single, relatable problem. As I am planning to do an animated film, this short film found on YouTube did give me an idea of the different types of ways ...
Read more