MAGAZINE MINOR TASK

 

Why did you make this documentary? 

During the covid pandemic, social media became more important to everyone, as it helps people keep in touch with distant friends as well as providing entertainment. However, I believe there is a hidden danger in social media as we are seeing more children and young people becoming addicted to it. Evidence shows that there is a rising tide of mental health problems amongst young people, with teen suicides much more common than in the past. Can we blame the influence of social media on this? Yes, I think we can.

What impact do you think this programme will have? 

Well, I think it is really important to warn young people and their parents about the dangers and addictive potential of social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. I’d like to see it as reaching out to young people who may themselves be trapped in this dark underworld and offer them a way out. But I also think we need to be challenging the big social media businesses and calling them to account for the way in which their sites are constructed to hook young people in.

Did you learn from this experience - how has it changed your approach to film making?

I've learned a lot from the experience of making this television documentary - my first in fact! At the beginning I thought it would be the same as making a cinema film, but in the course of pre-production and research I had to adapt my ideas to cater for the television audience. For example, although my aim was to educate and inform, I was hugely influenced by the great John Grierson's ideology that even though documentary can be a way of telling message, but it still has to be done as an entertaining way. So this was the reason for making the boys laugh and joke and also for the montage sequences. I’ve also learned how to do interviews. People tend to think that an interview is just simply asking questions. But there is lots to think about to prepare for an interview, such as ethical issues, type of questions, how can you make sure your interviewee won't feel uncomfortable about the topic or question, how you make sure as the interview going the interview won't be off the topic and how to make your subject feel relaxed. There is a lot more I need to learn as well, as people always say, ‘learning is an endless process’.

So what can we look forward to from you in the future? 

I’m brimming with ideas! I’d love to do more work on the whole issue of mental health in a number of ares. Keep an eye on my social media page for details of my new projects, but also to learn more about how to use social media to empower and not damage your mental well-being. I also plan to work together with charities such as Young Minds to develop more resources to support mental well being amongst teens.