In a world so connected, why do we feel so alone? Erasmus Project

Project Title

In a world so connected, why do we feel so alone?

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Health and wellbeing; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

In a world so connected, why do we feel so alone? According to the World Health Organisation, half of all mental health disorders have their onset before the age of 14 years-old worldwide. Furthermore, according to recent studies of WHO, depression is the third most common disease in the population while suicide is the second death cause in young people aged 14-29.

Mental health problems influence adolescents’ social, intellectual and emotional development. They can have great effects on school performance, opportunities for higher education and/or entry to the labour market. There is a clear need to invest in better child and adolescent mental health. Nevertheless, society often does not seem to realize the importance of mental health in adolescence and hence often fails to invest sufficiently in reestablishing a connection with their inner self.

Furthermore, times have changed in a more digitalized and individualistic sense. Social media currently seem to have an unseen impact on teenagers’ wellbeing, since ‘perfection’ and ‘overall success’ are the new norm. As a result, unrealistic expectations concerning their way of being, body and person as a whole are created. Nevertheless, when it comes to adolescents’ mental health, problems frequently remain undetected since these teens are often reluctant to share worries and concerns as they see it as a risk (i.e. rejection). The profiles these adolescents create online, therefore often do not resemble the person they feel on the inside, which results in being hyperconnected digitally whilst still feeling very lonely.

The project in which we will engage ourselves, has partner schools in Belgium, Hungary and Sweden. Taking into account the suicide rate in comparison to other European countries (2015), Belgium (as well as Hungary and Sweden) results to have a higher rate than the European Union average. Suicide results to be the second most frequent cause of death for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 24. In Hungary, around 7 % of 14-18 year-old youths are found to have depressive symptoms. In Sweden, growing mental illness amongst youngsters is one of the most serious public health challenges. An increase in mental health problems has been reported amongst young people, while there currently seems to be no clear explanation why, as mental health problems are increasing across the entire group (not limited to the most vulnerable youngsters).

With this Erasmus project, we want to help adolescents engage more in the world they live in today. Research will be done in order to get a scope on the negatives as to create tools for a positive outcome. As such, we aim to make them feel better about themselves and to let them involve in ‘real connections’ with others as to let them shape a more realistic outlook on life.

Our project will be based on a selection of potential negative effects linked to social media (lack of sleep, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, distorted body image, cyber bullying and FOMO). We will provide our participating students with workshops (both online and offline) as to make them more resilient to these negative effects. As a conclusion, we will end each LTT with a VLOG in order to secure the positive outcome of each LTT.

During the first working year, 2020-2021, our starting point will be a selection of four possible negative effects linked to social media as a whole; lack of sleep, anxiety, depression and suicide. Firstly, we intend to outline these obstacles, in order to combine students’ reality to our scope, both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, we aim to include a more scientific focus, i.e. the possible effects on the brain. Next, we will focus on positive outcomes, divided in twofold. Our first scope will be ‘online’, providing students with social media tools as to tackle the obstacles (by use of apps, new social media insights…). Next, we aim to tear them away from their screen, as to ‘get them back to basics’ and explore coping alternatives (creatively, sportively, retreat in nature…). As such, we seek to provide them a range of possible strategies in order to be more resilient in today’s society. All results will eventually be captured in a vlog, a blog and shared on e-twinning.

The vlog (see ‘first working year’) will form a basis for the second working year, 2021-2022, in which the starting point will be three other possible negative effects linked to social media; distorted body image, cyber bullying and FOMO. Again, we will intend to outline these obstacles nationally and internationally. During this working year, we will include an additional focus on ‘beauty ideals through space and time’, as to get a bigger scope on possible causes. Next, we will once more focus on tackling these actual obstacles in an effort to promote more consistent connections to oneself, others and modern-day society. This LTT will be concluded by means of a blog and vlog (e-twinning).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 43364 Eur

Project Coordinator

Sint-Jozef Sint-Pieter & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Kungsängsgymnasiet
• Debreceni Református Kollégium Dóczy Gimnáziuma