Justification
As Body & Mind, our vision involves the citizens of Australia having; an empathetic understanding and comprehension of depression; a nation-wide awareness of the mental health disorder; and the people expressing this through empowerment to those who have it by facilitating key attitudes whilst being on treatment for the road to recovery. In saying that, one of our main goals or missions towards this vision is taking an initiative to develop an effective awareness campaign which is targeted to adolescents suffering from depression, which in turn, creates a nationwide awareness for the mental health disorder in Australia. With that in mind, also acknowledging that Body & Mind is still in ongoing developments considering that it is a non-profitable organisation being funded by our own money, we have chosen two forms of media which have a less financial strain on our company but yet achieves our goal of establishing a nationwide awareness for the disorder of depression. These two forms of media involve this current website we have up and running as of current time, and an electronic billboard.
We strongly believe that by using a website and electronic billboard, we are effectively addressing and raising awareness of depression to adolescents. Living in the age of modern technology, we realise that the usage of the World Wide Web is definitely seen as a staple and systematical habit of adolescents who have the urge to always use it. Websites are in fact one of the world's most strongest forms of communication between different countries in the world, and has demonstrated a great online and cyber connection. Despite the cost being cheap, it truly does contribute to achieving our vision. Websites are versatile, interactive and almost accessible by everyone! This website is also available on mobile devices. Whether it be using it for study or social purposes, the internet is a powerful resource through the use of a website, we are effortlessly yet effectively raising the awareness for the mental health disorder of depression in Australia.
In addition, we also believe that the use of an electronic billboard to address our dedicated mental health disorder is another extremely effective and influential form of media. The way in which this is highly effective is due to the fact that we are utilising the modern technology of today's modern world to convey strong messages and information of depression to society. Furthermore, electronic billboards are a rare sight within the urban areas of Australia, and so by using one, we are intriguing our targeted audience of adolescents to this form of media. It is also effective in the way that we have gone beyond a typical and plain billboard to using an animated one, which therefore allows an interaction and communication between the audience and the electronic billboard. Despite being limited to a smaller "reach" proportion, we believe that an electronic billboard, as well as a website, prevails over the other recognised forms of communication.
In saying that, we have gone against using any other type of media and communication, for the time being, as we are convinced that they are have numerous extensive flaws when it comes to delivering the message, and therefore is somewhat ineffective when addressing our mental health disorder. To elaborate, a television or radio advertisement can be seen to be an effective form of communication. However, modern society has evolved into using different alternatives of entertainment for convenience. This is evident to point where adolescents are now actively engaging in their electronic devices, rather than their televisions, as their technology has extensive capabilities compared to a television, being that they can now access all their entertainment and broader resources on their laptops or tablets though services such as YouTube. The same concept is applied to radio advertisements as the only time we have access to the radio is through the car stereo due to the fact that having a stereo with radio capabilities at home is now outdated technology at this time. Furthermore, this implies that for radio advertisements to be effective, an adolescent must have regular access to a radio. This creates contradiction as many do not have this access and have converted from using a radio to using online radio station services through their devices. Even if they do have access to a stereo with radio features, many adolescents are now using AUX cords to play their own music which then restricts advertisements. Again, newspaper advertisements and pamphlets are ineffective as they are unentertaining, unappealing and inaccessible to numerous people; many now access their print media online. Advertising is all about adapting and evolving into accessible and entertaining forms of media, which is why websites and electronic billboards are the strongest forms of communication in today's modern world, and is why our company, Body & Mind, have used these to address and raise awareness of our mental health disorder of depression effectively.
As Body & Mind, our vision involves the citizens of Australia having; an empathetic understanding and comprehension of depression; a nation-wide awareness of the mental health disorder; and the people expressing this through empowerment to those who have it by facilitating key attitudes whilst being on treatment for the road to recovery. In saying that, one of our main goals or missions towards this vision is taking an initiative to develop an effective awareness campaign which is targeted to adolescents suffering from depression, which in turn, creates a nationwide awareness for the mental health disorder in Australia. With that in mind, also acknowledging that Body & Mind is still in ongoing developments considering that it is a non-profitable organisation being funded by our own money, we have chosen two forms of media which have a less financial strain on our company but yet achieves our goal of establishing a nationwide awareness for the disorder of depression. These two forms of media involve this current website we have up and running as of current time, and an electronic billboard.
We strongly believe that by using a website and electronic billboard, we are effectively addressing and raising awareness of depression to adolescents. Living in the age of modern technology, we realise that the usage of the World Wide Web is definitely seen as a staple and systematical habit of adolescents who have the urge to always use it. Websites are in fact one of the world's most strongest forms of communication between different countries in the world, and has demonstrated a great online and cyber connection. Despite the cost being cheap, it truly does contribute to achieving our vision. Websites are versatile, interactive and almost accessible by everyone! This website is also available on mobile devices. Whether it be using it for study or social purposes, the internet is a powerful resource through the use of a website, we are effortlessly yet effectively raising the awareness for the mental health disorder of depression in Australia.
In addition, we also believe that the use of an electronic billboard to address our dedicated mental health disorder is another extremely effective and influential form of media. The way in which this is highly effective is due to the fact that we are utilising the modern technology of today's modern world to convey strong messages and information of depression to society. Furthermore, electronic billboards are a rare sight within the urban areas of Australia, and so by using one, we are intriguing our targeted audience of adolescents to this form of media. It is also effective in the way that we have gone beyond a typical and plain billboard to using an animated one, which therefore allows an interaction and communication between the audience and the electronic billboard. Despite being limited to a smaller "reach" proportion, we believe that an electronic billboard, as well as a website, prevails over the other recognised forms of communication.
In saying that, we have gone against using any other type of media and communication, for the time being, as we are convinced that they are have numerous extensive flaws when it comes to delivering the message, and therefore is somewhat ineffective when addressing our mental health disorder. To elaborate, a television or radio advertisement can be seen to be an effective form of communication. However, modern society has evolved into using different alternatives of entertainment for convenience. This is evident to point where adolescents are now actively engaging in their electronic devices, rather than their televisions, as their technology has extensive capabilities compared to a television, being that they can now access all their entertainment and broader resources on their laptops or tablets though services such as YouTube. The same concept is applied to radio advertisements as the only time we have access to the radio is through the car stereo due to the fact that having a stereo with radio capabilities at home is now outdated technology at this time. Furthermore, this implies that for radio advertisements to be effective, an adolescent must have regular access to a radio. This creates contradiction as many do not have this access and have converted from using a radio to using online radio station services through their devices. Even if they do have access to a stereo with radio features, many adolescents are now using AUX cords to play their own music which then restricts advertisements. Again, newspaper advertisements and pamphlets are ineffective as they are unentertaining, unappealing and inaccessible to numerous people; many now access their print media online. Advertising is all about adapting and evolving into accessible and entertaining forms of media, which is why websites and electronic billboards are the strongest forms of communication in today's modern world, and is why our company, Body & Mind, have used these to address and raise awareness of our mental health disorder of depression effectively.
Bibliography
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Available at: http://au.reachout.com/depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015]
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Available at:http://www.sane.org/information/factsheets-podcasts/178-depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available at: http://depression.com.au/. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available at: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Depression_an_overview?open.
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available at: http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Factsandfiguresaboutmentalhealthandmooddisorders.pdf
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available at:http://www.mentalhealth.wa.gov.au/mental_illness_and_health/mh_stigma.aspx. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available at:http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30March%202009.
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
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Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc.
[Accessed: 31 March 2015].
- Aaron T. Beck, 2009. Depression: Causes and Treatment, 2nd Edition. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- DARIUS Boyd sat alone inside his room at a private mental psychiatric hospital in Sydney’s west with a journal and a pen [Online Article].
Available at:http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/darius-boyd-reveals-how-he-hit-rock-bottom-his-21-days-in-rehab-and-the-family-demons-he-is-confronting-to-beat-depression/story-fni3gf5j-1227025848132. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Depression | ReachOut.com Australia, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at: http://au.reachout.com/depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015]
- Depression, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.youthbeyondblue.com/understand-what's-going-on/depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- What is depression?, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Depression, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.sane.org/information/factsheets-podcasts/178-depression. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Depression.com.au | Medication & Symptoms Explained, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at: http://depression.com.au/. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Depression | Better Health Channel, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Depression_an_overview?open.
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Facts and Figures About Mental Health and Mood Disorders [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Factsandfiguresaboutmentalhealthandmooddisorders.pdf
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
- What is stigma?, 2015 [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.mentalhealth.wa.gov.au/mental_illness_and_health/mh_stigma.aspx. [Accessed 31 March 2015].
- Australian Social Trends, March 2009 [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30March%202009.
[Accessed 31 March 2015].
- World Health Organization (2012), I had a black dog, his name was depression, 02 October, [Online Video]
Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc.
[Accessed: 31 March 2015].
- Aaron T. Beck, 2009. Depression: Causes and Treatment, 2nd Edition. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- DARIUS Boyd sat alone inside his room at a private mental psychiatric hospital in Sydney’s west with a journal and a pen [Online Article].
Available at:http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/darius-boyd-reveals-how-he-hit-rock-bottom-his-21-days-in-rehab-and-the-family-demons-he-is-confronting-to-beat-depression/story-fni3gf5j-1227025848132. [Accessed 31 March 2015].