Kill the Romance

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

This campaign stems from the online activity of the younger generation, where mental illness and self-harm are often glorified. The romanticisation of these issues is an ongoing problem; from celebrity examples right down to the anonymous teenager blogging on social networks. Issues of self-harm and depression are no longer ignored in our society, but we are not always communicating about them in the right way. Sad lyrics and images of scars are, scarily enough, a popular trend across the blogging space.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

Through a series of promotional A3 posters, small magnets and an accessible blog, the ‘Kill the Romance’ campaign aims to discourage the promotion of self-harm and destructive mental health in younger generations. Connected by a common hashtag, information and support for the campaign can easily be followed across various social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr. This also provides a space for young people to communicate with each other about the issue in a familiar environment, in hope to change attitudes and increase awareness about romanticising self-harm and its consequences.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

The success of this campaign would mean that the damaging online
culture of glorifying self-harm will end, and that young adults become
aware that they have been contributing to a destructive trend. In no
way does the campaign seek to cease discussion about mental health
and self harm; sim

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

Throughout the construction of this campaign, I have become more
conscious of my own online habits and the common trends that I see
across multiple networks, not only in the methods young people use
to communicate but also the content of their discussion. I believe
that dialogue is more prominent in our society than ever due to ease
of communication, but it is the quality and substance of dialogue in
which we should be concerned. This is why my campaign aims to create
a positive change in direction on an intimate issue that is so widely
discussed and shared by millions of people at such a personal level.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

The elements of the designs are targeted towards a young adult
audience who are familiar with online social networks, and particularly
females. This is because a large portion of the online blogging content
regarding self-harm or depression is related to young women simply due
to their dominance in online blogging. As well as ‘#KILLTHEROMANCE’,
the posters and magnets feature icons that invite the audience to ‘Like’,
‘Reblog’, ‘Favourite’ and ‘Share’ the ideas of the campaign. The imagery
used in the posters themselves employ the same dark romance style
that is seen across the online examples this campaign is condemning
so as to appeal to the audience by familiarity. The soft, feminine items
young women associate with beauty are corrupted by the manipulation
and addition of particular elements that destroy the innocence of the
simple items.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

The posters would be displayed in public areas where large amounts of
young people would pass through or congregate such as train stations
and bus stops, school classrooms, or as paste-ups in popular city
locations. The magnets will work in a similar way and can be re-located
and transported easily. These could be stuck on school noticeboards,
inside trains or trams, or on personal belongings such as a mirror at home
or on the fridge. These will act as both public and personal reminders of
the issue as it is not a cultural habit that will disappear quickly.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

As of yet this campaign has not affected other media.