Process Journal
Entry #1- September 30th 2014
After my talk with my personal project supervisors, I was ready to start research. Although I am still undecided as to who my audience will be, I will still need the same research. To kick off the researching stage of my personal project, I am first going to get some general information about depression. Going into the research process, I have created a few questions which I will look up whilst researching:
1. What is depression?
2. Who is affected by depression?
3. Why are so many teenagers depressed?
4. What are the effects of depression?
5. Why do people get depressed?
6. What causes depression?
7. How can depression be prevented?
Some helpful websites which I have found to help my answer my questions:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
I have not researched too much so far, except for the best websites to get information.
After my talk with my personal project supervisors, I was ready to start research. Although I am still undecided as to who my audience will be, I will still need the same research. To kick off the researching stage of my personal project, I am first going to get some general information about depression. Going into the research process, I have created a few questions which I will look up whilst researching:
1. What is depression?
2. Who is affected by depression?
3. Why are so many teenagers depressed?
4. What are the effects of depression?
5. Why do people get depressed?
6. What causes depression?
7. How can depression be prevented?
Some helpful websites which I have found to help my answer my questions:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
I have not researched too much so far, except for the best websites to get information.
Entry #2- October 20th 2014
Evaluation of Sources
1.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
Origin: WebMD
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to mainly act as an "online doctor's office/pharmacist". This website provides information about both physical and mental illnesses and includes things such as: symptoms, statistics, prevention tips, etc. about the disease or sickness. This particular page of the website is dedicated towards the idea of what depression is. All of the symptoms and effects and feelings of depression are all stated on this site.
Value: This website is very reliable because all the information that is shared and all the posts that are written and published are finalised and submitted by real doctors who know what they are talking about.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
2.
Source: http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
Origin: TeensHealth
Purpose: This website serves mainly as a place for parents and teenagers to go to in order to find information about anything related to teens and their health. This website provides a lot of information about depression because that is one main illness that a lot of teens struggle with.
Value: This website is reliable because all of the information comes from past parents of depressed teens, doctors, or teens themselves who give personal input.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
3.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
Origin: WebMD
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to mainly act as an "online doctor's office/pharmacist". This website provides information about both physical and mental illnesses and includes things such as: symptoms, statistics, prevention tips, etc. about the disease or sickness. This particular page of the website is dedicated towards the causes of depression and what a depressed teen feels.
Value: This website is very reliable because all the information that is shared and all the posts that are written and published are finalised and submitted by real doctors who know what they are talking about.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
4.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
Origin: PsychCentral
Purpose: This website provides information about anything psychology related. This website, unlike many other sites, goes into deep detail about depression and what it feels like. There are quotes provided by people who have previously felt or are currently experiencing depression. This website also provides more psychological information about what depression is and what it really does to your body.
Value: This website is very reliable because all of the information and data that is published on the website is written by professionals (psychologists) or people who have experienced depression themselves (the quotes).
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
5.
Source: http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
Origin: PearlsProgram
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to inform visitors about the causes and effects about depression in general, not just teen depression. Unlike any other sources, this website offers different websites which you can visit if you are depressed and need help and need someone to talk to (online therapy, to say).
Value: The reliability of this website is high because every fact and statistic and piece of information is posted by a psychologist who has experience working with depressed people and studying their behaviour (not just teens).
((refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
6.
Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000648.htm
Origin: NLM.NIH (National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health)
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to provide information about depression and its: effects, risks, symptoms, and how to deal with it.
Value: This is a reliable source because doctors and psychologists run this website and would not post anything that is not reliable.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
7.
Depression Book
Source: Psychological Disorders and their treatment.
Origin: Dianne Hales
Purpose: This book covers every aspect of depression, types of depression, reasons for depression, history of depression, and outcomes of depression. This book was written by an author named Dianne Hales who used to work in the field of Psychology.
Value: Inside the book where it states the editors of the book, all of them are either psychologists, doctors, therapists , or professors which assures the reader that all the facts and information about depression is reliable.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
Evaluation of Sources
1.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
Origin: WebMD
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to mainly act as an "online doctor's office/pharmacist". This website provides information about both physical and mental illnesses and includes things such as: symptoms, statistics, prevention tips, etc. about the disease or sickness. This particular page of the website is dedicated towards the idea of what depression is. All of the symptoms and effects and feelings of depression are all stated on this site.
Value: This website is very reliable because all the information that is shared and all the posts that are written and published are finalised and submitted by real doctors who know what they are talking about.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
2.
Source: http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
Origin: TeensHealth
Purpose: This website serves mainly as a place for parents and teenagers to go to in order to find information about anything related to teens and their health. This website provides a lot of information about depression because that is one main illness that a lot of teens struggle with.
Value: This website is reliable because all of the information comes from past parents of depressed teens, doctors, or teens themselves who give personal input.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
3.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
Origin: WebMD
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to mainly act as an "online doctor's office/pharmacist". This website provides information about both physical and mental illnesses and includes things such as: symptoms, statistics, prevention tips, etc. about the disease or sickness. This particular page of the website is dedicated towards the causes of depression and what a depressed teen feels.
Value: This website is very reliable because all the information that is shared and all the posts that are written and published are finalised and submitted by real doctors who know what they are talking about.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
4.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
Origin: PsychCentral
Purpose: This website provides information about anything psychology related. This website, unlike many other sites, goes into deep detail about depression and what it feels like. There are quotes provided by people who have previously felt or are currently experiencing depression. This website also provides more psychological information about what depression is and what it really does to your body.
Value: This website is very reliable because all of the information and data that is published on the website is written by professionals (psychologists) or people who have experienced depression themselves (the quotes).
(refer to Process Journal Entry #3 for information from this site)
5.
Source: http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
Origin: PearlsProgram
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to inform visitors about the causes and effects about depression in general, not just teen depression. Unlike any other sources, this website offers different websites which you can visit if you are depressed and need help and need someone to talk to (online therapy, to say).
Value: The reliability of this website is high because every fact and statistic and piece of information is posted by a psychologist who has experience working with depressed people and studying their behaviour (not just teens).
((refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
6.
Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000648.htm
Origin: NLM.NIH (National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health)
Purpose: The purpose of this website is to provide information about depression and its: effects, risks, symptoms, and how to deal with it.
Value: This is a reliable source because doctors and psychologists run this website and would not post anything that is not reliable.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
7.
Depression Book
Source: Psychological Disorders and their treatment.
Origin: Dianne Hales
Purpose: This book covers every aspect of depression, types of depression, reasons for depression, history of depression, and outcomes of depression. This book was written by an author named Dianne Hales who used to work in the field of Psychology.
Value: Inside the book where it states the editors of the book, all of them are either psychologists, doctors, therapists , or professors which assures the reader that all the facts and information about depression is reliable.
(refer to Process Journal Entry #4 for information from this site)
Entry #3- October 26th 2014
Information from sources 1-4
Source #1: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
What is depression?
Symptoms:
-depressed mood during most of the day
-fatigue or lack of energy
-the feeling of worthlessness or guilt
-impaired concentration and indecisiveness
-insomnia or hypersomnia
-lack of interest in pleasure in activities
-recurring thoughts of death or suicide
-sense of restlessness or being slowed down
-significant weight loss or weight gain
-difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
-feelings of hopelessness
-loss of pleasure in live
-persistent aches or pains (headaches, cramps, digestive problems)
-persistent sad, anxious, or empty feelings
-suicide attempts
-1 in 33 children suffer from depression
-1 in 8 adolescents suffer from depression
-from ages 10-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death
Types of depression:
-major depression
-chronic depression
-bipolar depression
-seasonal depression
-psychotic depression
-postpartum depression
-substance-induced mood disorder
Source #2: http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
-daylight and seasons, social environment, and life events can play a part in someone's depression because they affect the brain's neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that regulate the mood)
-research shows that depression CAN run in families
-things like that can cause depression include: death of a family member, death of a friend, death of a pet, parents divorce, parents remarry, moving, changing schools, bullying, peer pressure, harassment, poverty,
Source #3: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
Untreated Depression
-untreated depression increases the chance of risky behaviours such as drug or alcohol addiction
-has the power to ruin relationships, causes problems at work or school, and can make it difficult to overcome serious illness
-clinical depression/major depression involves the bod, mood, and thoughts (this is the type of depression most teenagers face)
-patients with major depression have a higher risk of stokes or heart attacks
-causes changes in sleep pattern (excessive sleep or lack of sleep_
-weight gain or weight loss
Warning signs of suicide with untreated depression:
-talking, writing, or thinking about killing or hurting oneself or threatening to do so
-any form of depression
-having "death wish" (taking risks that could lead to death)
-losing interests in things one used to care about
-making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
-bipolar actions
-suddenly visiting or calling people one cares about
-writing suicide notes
-increase in drinking alcohol or using drugs
-seeking methods to kill oneself
Source #4: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
-feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months on end (not just a passing blue mood)
-lack of energy
-"A person who's depressed just 'can't get moving' and feels completely unmotivated to do just about anything. Even simple things -- like getting dressed in the morning or eating -- become large obstacles in daily life".
-"Certainty that an acute episode [of depression] will last only a week, a month, even a year, would change everything. It would still be a ghastly ordeal, but the worst thing about it -- the incessant yearning for death, the compulsion toward suicide -- would drop away. But no, a limited depression, a depression with hope, is a contradiction. The experience of convulsive pain, along with the conviction that it will never end except in death -- that is the definition of a severe depression." -George Scialabba
Causes of depression:
-all mental disorders are caused by a complex interaction and combination of biological, psychological, and social factors
-some types of depression run in families
-vulnerability can be inherited
-people who have low self-esteem, view themselves and the world with pessimism, are easily overwhelmed with stress, are prone to depression
-physical changes in the body can be accompanied by mental changes
-Medical illnesses such as stroke, a heart attack, cancer, and hormonal disorders can cause depressive illness
Information from sources 1-4
Source #1: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression
What is depression?
Symptoms:
-depressed mood during most of the day
-fatigue or lack of energy
-the feeling of worthlessness or guilt
-impaired concentration and indecisiveness
-insomnia or hypersomnia
-lack of interest in pleasure in activities
-recurring thoughts of death or suicide
-sense of restlessness or being slowed down
-significant weight loss or weight gain
-difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
-feelings of hopelessness
-loss of pleasure in live
-persistent aches or pains (headaches, cramps, digestive problems)
-persistent sad, anxious, or empty feelings
-suicide attempts
-1 in 33 children suffer from depression
-1 in 8 adolescents suffer from depression
-from ages 10-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death
Types of depression:
-major depression
-chronic depression
-bipolar depression
-seasonal depression
-psychotic depression
-postpartum depression
-substance-induced mood disorder
Source #2: http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/why_depressed.html
-daylight and seasons, social environment, and life events can play a part in someone's depression because they affect the brain's neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that regulate the mood)
-research shows that depression CAN run in families
-things like that can cause depression include: death of a family member, death of a friend, death of a pet, parents divorce, parents remarry, moving, changing schools, bullying, peer pressure, harassment, poverty,
Source #3: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/untreated-depression-effects
Untreated Depression
-untreated depression increases the chance of risky behaviours such as drug or alcohol addiction
-has the power to ruin relationships, causes problems at work or school, and can make it difficult to overcome serious illness
-clinical depression/major depression involves the bod, mood, and thoughts (this is the type of depression most teenagers face)
-patients with major depression have a higher risk of stokes or heart attacks
-causes changes in sleep pattern (excessive sleep or lack of sleep_
-weight gain or weight loss
Warning signs of suicide with untreated depression:
-talking, writing, or thinking about killing or hurting oneself or threatening to do so
-any form of depression
-having "death wish" (taking risks that could lead to death)
-losing interests in things one used to care about
-making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
-bipolar actions
-suddenly visiting or calling people one cares about
-writing suicide notes
-increase in drinking alcohol or using drugs
-seeking methods to kill oneself
Source #4: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/
-feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months on end (not just a passing blue mood)
-lack of energy
-"A person who's depressed just 'can't get moving' and feels completely unmotivated to do just about anything. Even simple things -- like getting dressed in the morning or eating -- become large obstacles in daily life".
-"Certainty that an acute episode [of depression] will last only a week, a month, even a year, would change everything. It would still be a ghastly ordeal, but the worst thing about it -- the incessant yearning for death, the compulsion toward suicide -- would drop away. But no, a limited depression, a depression with hope, is a contradiction. The experience of convulsive pain, along with the conviction that it will never end except in death -- that is the definition of a severe depression." -George Scialabba
Causes of depression:
-all mental disorders are caused by a complex interaction and combination of biological, psychological, and social factors
-some types of depression run in families
-vulnerability can be inherited
-people who have low self-esteem, view themselves and the world with pessimism, are easily overwhelmed with stress, are prone to depression
-physical changes in the body can be accompanied by mental changes
-Medical illnesses such as stroke, a heart attack, cancer, and hormonal disorders can cause depressive illness
Entry #4- October 26th 2014
Information from sources 5-7
Source #5: http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
*not a valid source for my project for this is more about adult impression, not teenage depression*
Source #6: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000648.htm
(Website for parents)
Recognizing Teen Depression:
-mood disorders may run in the family
-stressful life event (death, divorce, bullying, breakup, failure in school)
-low self-esteem
-Teen is a girl. Teen girls are twice as likely as boys to have depression.
-trouble being social
-learning disabilities
-chronic illness
-family problems
Symptoms of depression:
-frequent irritability with sudden bursts of anger
-sensitivity to criticism
-complains of headaches, stomachaches, or other bodily problems
-withdrawal from people like parents or friends
-not enjoying usual favorite activities
-feeling tired
-sad or blue feelings most of the time
-trouble sleeping or sleeping more than normal
-change in eating habits
-difficulty with concentration
-problems making decisions
-drops in school grades, attendance, and not doing homework
-high risk behaviours: unsafe driving, unsafe sex, shoplifting
-pulling away from family and friends to spend more time alone
-drinking or using drugs
Source #7: Psychological Disorders and their treatment.
Origin: Dianne Hales
"Unlike the feeling of depression, which comes and goes, the disease of depression persists and deepens over several weeks or months". (p.18)
-depressed mood
-depressed people may be tearful, irritable, or anxious.
-they often feel like they do not care about anyone, themselves, their loved ones, or anything that once brought them joy
-significant weight loss or weight gain
"Depression is one of the oldest human afflictions". (p.13)
-vulnerability, developmental trauma, intense life stresses, physical illness, and environmental and social influences can all cause depr
Information from sources 5-7
Source #5: http://www.pearlsprogram.org/Our-Program/About-Depression/Causes-and-Effects-of-Depression.aspx
*not a valid source for my project for this is more about adult impression, not teenage depression*
Source #6: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000648.htm
(Website for parents)
Recognizing Teen Depression:
-mood disorders may run in the family
-stressful life event (death, divorce, bullying, breakup, failure in school)
-low self-esteem
-Teen is a girl. Teen girls are twice as likely as boys to have depression.
-trouble being social
-learning disabilities
-chronic illness
-family problems
Symptoms of depression:
-frequent irritability with sudden bursts of anger
-sensitivity to criticism
-complains of headaches, stomachaches, or other bodily problems
-withdrawal from people like parents or friends
-not enjoying usual favorite activities
-feeling tired
-sad or blue feelings most of the time
-trouble sleeping or sleeping more than normal
-change in eating habits
-difficulty with concentration
-problems making decisions
-drops in school grades, attendance, and not doing homework
-high risk behaviours: unsafe driving, unsafe sex, shoplifting
-pulling away from family and friends to spend more time alone
-drinking or using drugs
Source #7: Psychological Disorders and their treatment.
Origin: Dianne Hales
"Unlike the feeling of depression, which comes and goes, the disease of depression persists and deepens over several weeks or months". (p.18)
-depressed mood
-depressed people may be tearful, irritable, or anxious.
-they often feel like they do not care about anyone, themselves, their loved ones, or anything that once brought them joy
-significant weight loss or weight gain
"Depression is one of the oldest human afflictions". (p.13)
-vulnerability, developmental trauma, intense life stresses, physical illness, and environmental and social influences can all cause depr
Entry #5- October 26th 2014
On Sunday, October 26th 2014, I reached out to numerous of my friends on Facebook to ask them a few questions about depression and their personal experiences with them. The questions I asked are personal, but not too invading to make them uncomfortable, but they still helped me with my research. These are the questions that I sent:
Hey :) My personal project is about Teenage Depression where I will be creating an awareness video about how it affects teens on the daily. I was wondering if I can ask you some questions regarding depression. Part of my research for this project will come from interviews like these, but any information I get from you will stay completely anonymous. I will use screenshots of these conversations for my final write-up, but I will blur out your name so nobody knows these answers are coming from you. This being said, can I ask you some questions? :)
Have you or someone you know ever suffered from depression?
How old were they/are you?
What lead to their depression/why were they depressed?
Did they ever try to escape from their depression by self-harming?
How did you react? Did they ever receive any help from you or anyone else?
How are they today? Are they still suffering from depression?
Do you personally think depression is an issue amongst teenagers today? Why?
Thank you so much :) This conversation will stay completely anonymous and will be directed towards my research :) thank you for your time
I sent these questions to over 15 of my friends in order to get enough answers for my research and get the point of view from other teenagers other than myself.
(Refer to Entry #6 to see screenshots of these conversations)
On Sunday, October 26th 2014, I reached out to numerous of my friends on Facebook to ask them a few questions about depression and their personal experiences with them. The questions I asked are personal, but not too invading to make them uncomfortable, but they still helped me with my research. These are the questions that I sent:
Hey :) My personal project is about Teenage Depression where I will be creating an awareness video about how it affects teens on the daily. I was wondering if I can ask you some questions regarding depression. Part of my research for this project will come from interviews like these, but any information I get from you will stay completely anonymous. I will use screenshots of these conversations for my final write-up, but I will blur out your name so nobody knows these answers are coming from you. This being said, can I ask you some questions? :)
Have you or someone you know ever suffered from depression?
How old were they/are you?
What lead to their depression/why were they depressed?
Did they ever try to escape from their depression by self-harming?
How did you react? Did they ever receive any help from you or anyone else?
How are they today? Are they still suffering from depression?
Do you personally think depression is an issue amongst teenagers today? Why?
Thank you so much :) This conversation will stay completely anonymous and will be directed towards my research :) thank you for your time
I sent these questions to over 15 of my friends in order to get enough answers for my research and get the point of view from other teenagers other than myself.
(Refer to Entry #6 to see screenshots of these conversations)
Entry #6- October 26th 2014
Screenshots of Facebook Conversations
Screenshots of Facebook Conversations
Entry #7- March 15th 2015
Although my Process Journal Entries have been inconsistent, my work going into Personal Project hasn't. Since my last entry (the plan), I have completely finished my product. The first step was filming. The clips in my video are of four different actors and actresses (myself, Iman Mirza, Sophia Eigenmann, and Ares Zerunyan). These clips were filmed in many different places, such as: by the Bosphorus, Kemer Country, Istinye, Emirgan Park, my house, and even some in Denmark. The clips I had to film were: a shot of an eye opening and closing, a clip of someone walking, a clip of someone laughing, a clip of someone sitting my a body of water, a clip of someone cutting themselves, a clip of someone crying, a clip of someone getting out of bed, a clip of someone throwing away their pills/blades, and several clips of different bodies of water. Every single clip in my final is filmed on either my iPhone camera, my photography camera, or my friends camera.
Some difficulties I encountered:
1. I purchased a camera to make sure the video would be the highest quality possible, but the camera video quality turned out to not be as good as I would have hoped.
2. I purchased a microphone to make sure the sound quality would be as good as possible, but it took me about two weeks to figure out how to use the microphone which really delayed my whole editing process.
3. The actor #3 in my video (Ares) was originally supposed to be someone else, but the day that I was supposed to meet up with him he ended up cancelling, so then I was lucky enough that Ares was in the same area as I was and he helped me film.
Entry #8- March 13th 2015
On Friday, March 13th, I had a meeting with Mr. Maldonado to talk about my poem. When he read the poem he said that its very powerful, but it has not reached its full potential yet. Throughout the whole meeting whenever he gave a piece of advice he always said "Don't change anything for me, change it for you. This is your poem", which really meant a lot because as much as I am trying to make it powerful and effective, I still want it to be my words. Mr. Maldonado also said "Are you writing this to suit the Personal Project Committee or to show the world?". These words really made me think and wonder how far this video could go. Sure, I want to get a good grade and impress the Personal Project Committee, but there is more to it than that. I want my video to spread further than the walls of IICS. I want people all around the world to see it, and although getting thousands of views is unreasonable, if my video helps or informs one person, I will be satisfied. Mr. Maldonado gave me very helpful advice though. He helped with ideas to make this poem reach it's maximum potential and I really appreciate that.
Some things Mr. Maldonado suggested:
-Should the word "depression" be said three times or six times. "Depression is... It is..." or "Depression is... Depression is..."
-drowning in water -> drowning
-"You have the grace of one that hasn't been loved enough" -> "You have the grace of one never loved enough"
-"And in this life, you'll always drown your heart in things you shouldn't care about, and there will always be insecurity and self doubt. But please remember, even though you may be lost, you are not forgotten" ->
"And in this life, there’ll always be chances to drown your heart
In things you honestly shouldn’t care about
And though there’ll always be insecurity and self-doubt,
Things will get better, there is hope, there has been from the start,
and there is no reason to feel set apart."
His favorite lines:
"Depression is waking up and being disappointed to have your life.
Depression is giving the knife the power to keep you alive."
and
"The symmetry, the eerie neatness of your scars,
have stolen the light from the moon and the stars."
On Friday, March 13th, I had a meeting with Mr. Maldonado to talk about my poem. When he read the poem he said that its very powerful, but it has not reached its full potential yet. Throughout the whole meeting whenever he gave a piece of advice he always said "Don't change anything for me, change it for you. This is your poem", which really meant a lot because as much as I am trying to make it powerful and effective, I still want it to be my words. Mr. Maldonado also said "Are you writing this to suit the Personal Project Committee or to show the world?". These words really made me think and wonder how far this video could go. Sure, I want to get a good grade and impress the Personal Project Committee, but there is more to it than that. I want my video to spread further than the walls of IICS. I want people all around the world to see it, and although getting thousands of views is unreasonable, if my video helps or informs one person, I will be satisfied. Mr. Maldonado gave me very helpful advice though. He helped with ideas to make this poem reach it's maximum potential and I really appreciate that.
Some things Mr. Maldonado suggested:
-Should the word "depression" be said three times or six times. "Depression is... It is..." or "Depression is... Depression is..."
-drowning in water -> drowning
-"You have the grace of one that hasn't been loved enough" -> "You have the grace of one never loved enough"
-"And in this life, you'll always drown your heart in things you shouldn't care about, and there will always be insecurity and self doubt. But please remember, even though you may be lost, you are not forgotten" ->
"And in this life, there’ll always be chances to drown your heart
In things you honestly shouldn’t care about
And though there’ll always be insecurity and self-doubt,
Things will get better, there is hope, there has been from the start,
and there is no reason to feel set apart."
His favorite lines:
"Depression is waking up and being disappointed to have your life.
Depression is giving the knife the power to keep you alive."
and
"The symmetry, the eerie neatness of your scars,
have stolen the light from the moon and the stars."
Entry #9 March 15th 2015
Link to my video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Cl97QC_wE
Testing against specifications:
1.The video must be good quality.
Test: Although there is no quantitative data to be gathered in order to test this final product, I would still like to test this specification in some way to make sure it is effective and successful. In order to do so, I will send the video to a few friends of mine who are interested and specialize in videography to get their opinions and advice on the video, and things I should add, take out, or change.
2. The video must be powerful and effective.
Test: In order to test if my video is powerful and effective I will send it to some teenagers I know who have battled with depression in order to see if they relate to the video at all and what they get out of it. My target audience consists of teenagers who have suffered from depression in the past or currently are, and are also my test subjects to measure whether or not my video is effective and if it has helped in any way, shape, or form.
3.The video should be informative.
Test: In order to test if I have successfully achieved this specification, I will show my video to several people and ask for feedback. I will ask if they learned anything new from my video and if they think it is informative.
In order to test against my specifications, I created a survey on Google Forms asking these questions:
Do you think this video is effective? *Required(for both educating people about teenage depression and to help people who have suffered from depression)
· Yes, for both educational purposes and to be inspiring for those who have suffered from depression.
· Only for educational purposes.
· Only as an inspirational video for those who have suffered.
· Not at all.
Do you think this video is high quality?*Required(audio, video, etc).
· Yes, the whole thing is great quality!
· The filming is good but the audio isn't.
· The audio is good but the filming isn't.
· None of them are good.
Do you think the video is too long?*Required
· Not at all!
· Yes.
Is the music fitting?*Required
· Definitely.
· Not so much.
What did you like about the video? *Required(you may choose more than one)
· The clips/filming
· The concept/idea
· The music
· The poem
· Nothing.
· Other:
How could the video improve? *Required
______________________________________________
Overall, do you think that the concept of depression is shown and displayed respectfully in this video? And why?*Required
_______________________________________________
Screenshots of the survey results are below:
Link to my video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Cl97QC_wE
Testing against specifications:
1.The video must be good quality.
Test: Although there is no quantitative data to be gathered in order to test this final product, I would still like to test this specification in some way to make sure it is effective and successful. In order to do so, I will send the video to a few friends of mine who are interested and specialize in videography to get their opinions and advice on the video, and things I should add, take out, or change.
2. The video must be powerful and effective.
Test: In order to test if my video is powerful and effective I will send it to some teenagers I know who have battled with depression in order to see if they relate to the video at all and what they get out of it. My target audience consists of teenagers who have suffered from depression in the past or currently are, and are also my test subjects to measure whether or not my video is effective and if it has helped in any way, shape, or form.
3.The video should be informative.
Test: In order to test if I have successfully achieved this specification, I will show my video to several people and ask for feedback. I will ask if they learned anything new from my video and if they think it is informative.
In order to test against my specifications, I created a survey on Google Forms asking these questions:
Do you think this video is effective? *Required(for both educating people about teenage depression and to help people who have suffered from depression)
· Yes, for both educational purposes and to be inspiring for those who have suffered from depression.
· Only for educational purposes.
· Only as an inspirational video for those who have suffered.
· Not at all.
Do you think this video is high quality?*Required(audio, video, etc).
· Yes, the whole thing is great quality!
· The filming is good but the audio isn't.
· The audio is good but the filming isn't.
· None of them are good.
Do you think the video is too long?*Required
· Not at all!
· Yes.
Is the music fitting?*Required
· Definitely.
· Not so much.
What did you like about the video? *Required(you may choose more than one)
· The clips/filming
· The concept/idea
· The music
· The poem
· Nothing.
· Other:
How could the video improve? *Required
______________________________________________
Overall, do you think that the concept of depression is shown and displayed respectfully in this video? And why?*Required
_______________________________________________
Screenshots of the survey results are below:
Entry #10- March 20th 2015
Exhibition Day
On Exhibition Day, I was very nervous. Although I knew my project and topic inside and out, I was still afraid about not knowing the answers to some of the questions. When we got to the gym, I set up my booth. My booth had a poster that I painted and it said “Teenage Depression” on it. I felt as if this would attract more people to my booth and make mine stand out compared to some of the others. I also feel as if having a visual is more appealing. I also created a poster with some information on it. I included things like “Why I chose this topic”, and “Effects of Teenage Depression”. The poster also included a few of the screenshots of the Facebook conversations, and also an example of one of my designs. I also had three laptops at my booth displaying my final product, the video.
As the Exhibition Day progressed, I was happy to see that a lot of people were coming to my booth. A lot of little children came to my booth and I was worried that the video would be too graphic and extreme for them, but they all said that it was scary and powerful and made them think. At my booth, I also had a few of the same surveys for the visitors to fill out so I could have even more feedback. Some of the oral feedback I got from people was that my video is very powerful and that it made them rethink the whole topic of teenage depression, and that was my goal. I also had a girl pull me aside and she thanked me; she told me that she has battled with depression for a few years and my video helped her realize that things will get better. Throughout the whole day, the video made seven people tear up. I am really glad that the video was so effective and powerful that it made people emotional, that was my intention.
I was asked a lot of questions like “Why did you choose this topic?”, and “Have you ever experienced depression?”. These questions were continuously being asked, until one parent asked, “What can I do to ensure that my child will never feel this way?”. This question twisted my head a bit. I wanted to just give the sugarcoated answer and say “Depression is completely preventable if you do this–“, but I couldn’t. I had to be honest with this curious father, and so I said, “As much as I wish I could tell you what to do to prevent something like this, I can’t. There aren’t steps you can follow to prevent depression, if there were, I don’t think depression would be a problem in society and in today’s world. I feel as if a lot of people think that depression is something people chose, and that they have the choice to get out of it. But depression is not preventable. As a parent it is so important to listen to your child, and to be aware of your child’s emotional state. As a parent, you cannot cure sadness. You cannot cure any of the pain that a child feels, maybe physical pain, but not emotional pain. So prepare yourself. As your son is growing up, he may have a time in his life where is struggling, so be ready to be there for him and support him and be ready to get him help if he needs it”.
Overall, I think my Personal Project Exhibition was very successful. I got a lot of praise from students and parents and teachers about my video; how professional it looks, how beautifully the poem was written. Later in the evening of the Exhibition, I posted my video on Facebook to share it with even more people and now my Youtube video currently has over 500 views from people all over the world.
Pictures from Exhibition Day are below:
Exhibition Day
On Exhibition Day, I was very nervous. Although I knew my project and topic inside and out, I was still afraid about not knowing the answers to some of the questions. When we got to the gym, I set up my booth. My booth had a poster that I painted and it said “Teenage Depression” on it. I felt as if this would attract more people to my booth and make mine stand out compared to some of the others. I also feel as if having a visual is more appealing. I also created a poster with some information on it. I included things like “Why I chose this topic”, and “Effects of Teenage Depression”. The poster also included a few of the screenshots of the Facebook conversations, and also an example of one of my designs. I also had three laptops at my booth displaying my final product, the video.
As the Exhibition Day progressed, I was happy to see that a lot of people were coming to my booth. A lot of little children came to my booth and I was worried that the video would be too graphic and extreme for them, but they all said that it was scary and powerful and made them think. At my booth, I also had a few of the same surveys for the visitors to fill out so I could have even more feedback. Some of the oral feedback I got from people was that my video is very powerful and that it made them rethink the whole topic of teenage depression, and that was my goal. I also had a girl pull me aside and she thanked me; she told me that she has battled with depression for a few years and my video helped her realize that things will get better. Throughout the whole day, the video made seven people tear up. I am really glad that the video was so effective and powerful that it made people emotional, that was my intention.
I was asked a lot of questions like “Why did you choose this topic?”, and “Have you ever experienced depression?”. These questions were continuously being asked, until one parent asked, “What can I do to ensure that my child will never feel this way?”. This question twisted my head a bit. I wanted to just give the sugarcoated answer and say “Depression is completely preventable if you do this–“, but I couldn’t. I had to be honest with this curious father, and so I said, “As much as I wish I could tell you what to do to prevent something like this, I can’t. There aren’t steps you can follow to prevent depression, if there were, I don’t think depression would be a problem in society and in today’s world. I feel as if a lot of people think that depression is something people chose, and that they have the choice to get out of it. But depression is not preventable. As a parent it is so important to listen to your child, and to be aware of your child’s emotional state. As a parent, you cannot cure sadness. You cannot cure any of the pain that a child feels, maybe physical pain, but not emotional pain. So prepare yourself. As your son is growing up, he may have a time in his life where is struggling, so be ready to be there for him and support him and be ready to get him help if he needs it”.
Overall, I think my Personal Project Exhibition was very successful. I got a lot of praise from students and parents and teachers about my video; how professional it looks, how beautifully the poem was written. Later in the evening of the Exhibition, I posted my video on Facebook to share it with even more people and now my Youtube video currently has over 500 views from people all over the world.
Pictures from Exhibition Day are below: