Research Log #2 - Solutionary Project 2020 

Date: Feb. 12, 2020

Name: Dane Hansen
Essential Question: How does depression affect society?
 
Three Points to Prove: #1: Social media is a major contributor in a rise in depression.
                                        #2: The rise of technology has led to an increase in depression and
suicide, but can also be a helpful tool to counter them.
                                        #3: By feeling a real human connection, those suffering from depression
can feel reassured.
 
Point that this Source Proves:   #2: A rise in depression has led to a higher suicide rate.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove): 

“The average teenager send 3,339 text messages a month”

“Text messages have a one hundred percent open rate.”

“Texting teenagers has been eleven times more powerful than email. We’ve also found an
unaccpected concequence and started receiving replies like these: I don’t want to go to school
today, the boy’s call me fa**t, I was cutting, my parents found out, but I just started again an
hour ago. Are you there?”

“Texting gives you real time data on issues such as rape, suicidal thoughts and so much more
allowing you to inform legislation or school authority.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?): 

This source doesn’t only address the problem of suicide. Instead, it explains a way to
provide support for anyone who is having real struggles. I think that utilizing the idea of
providing a text support line for people who are having trouble at home, at school, or any part of
their life would have a gret impact. As they explained in the Ted Talk, texting is fast, easy, and
simple when compared to phone hotlines. Also in the video, they mentioned that texts have a
100% open rate making them 7 times more effective than emails. This would make it easier to
have conversations with the victim and increase the chances that they actually see your message.
It provides a simple connection that could possibly save someones life.
It’s widely known that with the rise of technology, both depression and suicide have
become more common. Many relate that fact with people comparing themselves to others on
social media or looking up to someone and viewing yourself as worthless in comparison.
However, it was a great idea to use technology as a possible solution to the problem. Instead of
shying away from technology, they took a counterintuitive approach of using technology, the
main thing that caused suicide rates to spike, as a solution to the problem. It makes sense too
because people spend so much time on their phones anyway. While on their phone, they could
have a conversation with someone and feel a sense of being wanted. Having a simple
conversation, even if it’s through text, could help people out of a dark place.
I personally think that we could successfully implement a texting system into our school.
It would be anonymous so people wouldn’t be afraid to talk. We could somehow work it into our
scavenger hunt or make an automated text message chain that sends them memes every day and
it would give them a place to reach out at the same time. Since teens are already on their phones
and sending texts, they would be more willing to send one more opening up about their struggles
while staying anonymous.
 

Work Cited (correct MLA format): 

Lublin, Nancy. “Texting That Saves Lives.” TED, Feb. 2012,

www.ted.com/talks/nancy_lublin_texting_that_saves_lives.

This is a reputable and reliable article because, Ted talks are known for only inviting people
who are well known and leaders in their respective niches giving the audience one of the most
credible people for the particular topic they’re speaking about.
 Student Journal 2

As a group, we collaboratively created the idea to help temporarily reduce student’s stress

and hopefully depression. We want to post funny memes that are popular between teens among

the country that many of our classmates find humorous. If the student laughs, serotonin will be

released into the brain calming and improving their mood. We are still debating whether to create

a scavenger hunt with food at the end of the tunnel by having QR codes to scan that gives a hint

to the next meme. So far, we have created both a written proposal and proposal video. The

written proposal highlights what we hope to accomplish with our project and how we aim to get

there. Since stress has become more and more common within schools especially, our idea to

post memes around school is aimed around making students laugh. In our video, we talked about

how common depression has become in our society and how we plan to combat it with laughter

within our school.

Personally, I’ve still just been doing research. But I came across a ted talk that gave me

an idea that we could implement into our scavenger hunt. It would provide a texting hotline

where people could annonymously open up about their struggles. It would be like that so victims

wouldn’t be afraid to talk. Another idea was to make it an automated text message chain that

sends them memes every day and it would give them a place to reach out at the same time. Since

teens are already on their phones and sending texts, they would be more willing to send one more

opening up about their struggles while staying anonymous. Overall as a group, we’ve been doing

research into different components of depression. My research focuses on the causes and effects

of depression, in particular, technology as a cause and how we could use technology to also help

counter depression. And, one of the results being substance abuse. Although this wouldn’t be
seen as much on a high school level, the average age it’s become common drinking alcohol and

vaping has become lower and lower. I’ll try to find out why that is and how it could be stopped.