REFLECTIONS
REFLECTION ON HOW THE PROJECT EXTEND MY KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC:
This project extended my knowledge and understanding of the topic. Initially, I knew that Instagram was somehow affecting my mental health in the day to day. Although, throughout the research I realized that there is much more to consider, since there are many factors that affect the mental health of teenagers and actions that I can do to improve my mental health, my relationships and the ones of everyone around me.
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I found information about mental health on Instagram but not precisely what affected teenagers, so I decided to use the resources that the school gave me (Ebscohost and our online library) and directly interact with teenagers through focus groups and surveys. With those new sources, I learned about the most influencing factors; the indirect social pressure, our community and influencers. I found out that those three factors influence a teenager’s identity, mood, social interaction, mental disorders, relationships, and self-confidence, since we compare ourselves with the standards of beauty and the perfect life our society established.
I can say that I have broadened my knowledge and understanding of the global context Identities and Relationships since I learned that Instagram affects the identities of teenagers and how we interact with each other on our day-to-day. Also, when I listened to a podcast, I understood that there are many ways to help myself and others improve our mental health. Precisely, I can unfollow everyone who brings me negativity, filter my content, and follow accounts that truly inspire me to be a better person. As for the impact I can have on others, I understood that I could pay attention to what I say to them, share inspiring information and make them know we are always enough despite all the standards. Overall, this project helped me understand my topic and its global context; I learned about the importance of mental health and the huge impact we have on those around us.
REFLECTION ON HOW THE PROJECT EXTEND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE GLOBAL CONTEXT:
REFLECTION ON MY DEVELOPMENT AS AN IB LEARNER THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT:
I was an IB learner since, despite the challenges I had, I managed to overcome them and simultaneously improve my research, organization, thinking, and social skills. In fact, it was difficult for me to find information about teenagers since the information was focused on other ages. However, I decided to use new sources that I had not considered before (podcasts and documentaries), which in the end helped me to reinforce my research skills and be an inquirer. In addition, after having information, I had to face a challenge; investigate through interviews and focus groups, something which I did not feel comfortable with because I did not have the skills to communicate with others. However, I managed to overcome this obstacle by seeking advice from my sister and watching videos on how to overcome my shyness. From this, I was able to do what I had planned while being a great communicator.
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Moreover, I was creative and a thinker when brainstorming since at first I was indecisive when choosing which way I wanted to direct my project and its product but after I got advice, made several mind maps and drew conclusions, I was able to decide my topic. Also, when creating my product and choosing its logo, I decided to brainstorm to organize my ideas. Lastly, this project requires a lot of time and dedication, which at first it was difficult because I had other commitments at the same time. I managed to dedicate time to myself while practicing different techniques such as yoga and the Pomodoro technique that helped me be more balanced and thus improve my lack of organization, concentration and motivation that I had at the start of the project. Overall, I was able to succeed as an IB learner because I demonstrated lots of skills, attitudes, and attributes while overcoming my challenges.
It's a difficult question but if I had the opportunity to do this project all over again I honestly wouldn't change anything! I definitely would try to broaden my account's audience internationally since at the moment my audience is mainly teenagers in Colombia. If I had more time I would've loved to have a much bigger audience! I don't know, maybe in the future, I'll re-start posting in the account and try to make it a well-known account of mental health, all around the world. However, I do feel my product turned out great; I feel it overpassed my expectations and I wouldn't change anything about it, only try to have a much bigger audience, as mentioned before. In regards to how I feel about my project itself, I'm satisfied with the most important parts of my project since I believe that I was able to practice lots of skills, learn many things during my research, have an organized process journal and a complete report.
IF I HAD TO DO THIS ALL OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD
I DO AND HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT MY PROJECT?
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