People of all ages obsess over their favourite actor(ess), movies, books, games, bands, celebrities and so on. However, I’ve noticed a socially accepted notion that only youth can actively post on the internet about their idealizations for a story or their love for a person, and as they age they are expected to grow out of such extreme obsessions over people and things they previously loved. I believe the reason that we allow youth to obsessively “fangirl” (or “fanboy” or “fanpeep”!) over topics is because we ourselves acted this way to a greater or lesser extent as a youth. It is not uncommon that we see youth struggle with their sense of identity in the world, whether it be their gender, sexuality, future aspirations, or they struggle with the speedy process of becoming an independent in the world within a few short years. Adults tend to recognize that the process of becoming an adult is a tough and if looking up to these people and things through fandom helps guide them through the challenges of adolescence better than advice from family and friends (which they are reluctant to hear), then they should let it be and be glad that adolescents are getting guidance or inspiration from someone.
When we consider that 1 in 5 Canadians will struggle with mental health in their lifetime and mental illnesses are often diagnosed in a person’s adolescence, and that many young people obsess over things and people to the point that they will accept almost anything that their idols say and do as a truth, it’s interesting to think about the position that puts young musicians and other artists in. Being in the public eye puts an emphasis on everything that a famous person says and does in their life, which is almost always caught on film or photographed with the increasing availability of technology. Having the pressure of watching every move you make in public and at home (thanks to the paparazzi) and the stress of being on tour oftentimes away from friends and family for three months to a year at a time, being shuffled from bus to stage to hotel room repeatedly can cause some musicians to face their own mental health battles.
In the mindyourmind Podcast, I got the chance to listen to some of the bands I loved as a teenager as they interviewed with the programbetween 2007 and 2012. Hearing about their struggles, triumphs and coping strategies why dealing with mental health struggles, made me realize that those who we idolize are not immune to struggling with mental health and ensured me that we (youth) are not alone in these battles.
From listening to and feeling more connected with bands which mindyourmind had interviewed in the past, I knew that this was the theme that our first podcast season should follow. When a program or organization posts media on various mediums, it depends on the interest of the followers how much interaction occurs. Typically, a follower’s interest in a media posted on the internet fades with time, which is consistent with what mindyourmind saw with their band interviews. However, “Digital media presents particularly interesting possibilities for reuse because they can be reproduced at almost no cost” (Webster,2014). With this project, I was able to reuse the past audio interviews and reformat them into podcast episodes. Reinventing these past interviews allowed for the program to remarket the original interviews to today’s followers, as opposed to the followers of 2007-2012, brings awareness to the interview section of the programs website and enabled the program to refresh the audio by adding in burst of a youth voice on the answers being given and their experiences. Creating a podcast series also allowed for the program to connect with more youth, parents and professionals who may listen to podcasts exclusively, or youth who follow the program’s platform, listen to podcasts during their commutes and/or haven’t listened to the 96 original interviews.
To conclude, reusing content which was existing audio and making a podcast season with it was the best method, and focusing on musicians drives home the fact that no one has perfect mental health all the time and emphasizes their stories, tips and tricks.
If you are interested in hearing how I integrated musicians answers, my voice and mental health and wellness feel free to check out the mindyourmind Podcast available on Soundcloud, iTunes and YouTube.
Sources:
Webster, J. G. (2014). The marketplace of attention. How audiences take shape in a digital age. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca