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In a world where tweets, texts, posts, likes and favorites are a part of our daily lives, it's hard not to believe everything we see. Every little detail of one's personal life is easily shared with the world with the click of a button. And because of this, the beauty

In a world where tweets, texts, posts, likes and favorites are a part of our daily lives, it's hard not to believe everything we see. Every little detail of one's personal life is easily shared with the world with the click of a button. And because of this, the beauty standards that society has created is jumping from the pages of magazines and TV shows to apps such as Instagram and Facebook. The majority of social media users are young teens and adults, but the popularity of these apps is rising among kids as young as five years old as well. These are some of the most impressionable years of one's life. So, by seeing these standards that qualify someone as "beautiful," individuals are likely to strive toward these standards. And while some may seem impossible to attain, individuals are willing to go to extreme lengths to get there. Qualities like the "thigh gap" are slowly becoming more popular, and are putting individuals at risk. In a country where the ideal woman is skinny, and most of the celebrities and models showcase these nearly impossible standards, it's hard not to fall into the trap. With the addition of editing software and filters to already existing social media applications, the ability to edit and enhance photos is in the hands of the user. Photos can be edited so dramatically different from the original that what we're seeing doesn't even exist. This project explores the false reality that social media is creating and the negative effects it has on young girls and women. It also offers a solution to the problem.
ContributorsHenry, Lauren Nicole (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description
Food’s implication on culture and agriculture challenges agriculture’s identity in the age of the city. As architect and author Carolyn Steel explained, “we live in a world shaped by food, and if we realize that, we can use food as a powerful tool — a conceptual tool, design tool, to

Food’s implication on culture and agriculture challenges agriculture’s identity in the age of the city. As architect and author Carolyn Steel explained, “we live in a world shaped by food, and if we realize that, we can use food as a powerful tool — a conceptual tool, design tool, to shape the world differently. It triggers a new way of thinking about the problem, recognizing that food is not a commodity; it is life, it is culture, it’s us. It’s how we evolved.” If the passage of food culture is dependent upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations, the learning environments should reflect this tenability in its systematic and architectural approach.

Through an investigation of agriculture and cuisine and its consequential influence on culture, education, and design, the following project intends to reconceptualize the learning environment in order facilitate place-based practices. Challenging our cognitive dissonant relationship with food, the design proposal establishes a food identity through an imposition of urban agriculture and culinary design onto the school environment. Working in conjunction with the New American University’s mission, the design serves as a didactic medium between food, education, and architecture in designing the way we eat.
ContributorsBone, Nicole (Author) / Rocchi, Elena (Thesis director) / Hejduk, Renata (Committee member) / Robert, Moric (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
Social media is an industry that is rapidly growing and is affecting our society, our health, and our social environments. Emerging research suggests that Social Media has been linked to Poor Body Image, Cyberbullying, Depression, Internet Addiction, and Loneliness among other things. This paper looks at the research and discusses

Social media is an industry that is rapidly growing and is affecting our society, our health, and our social environments. Emerging research suggests that Social Media has been linked to Poor Body Image, Cyberbullying, Depression, Internet Addiction, and Loneliness among other things. This paper looks at the research and discusses the designer's role in the matter. Is it possible that poor design is the cause of these problems? Can design solve these problems? Are there ethical standards that digital product designers in particular can abide by?
ContributorsDavis, Nicole Angela (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Adolescence, a period of life characterized by drastic physiological as well as psychological development, is undoubtedly daunting. With the rise of social media, this period has become increasingly difficult for teenagers to navigate as social media continues to transform the way they develop psychologically. By increasing their need for social

Adolescence, a period of life characterized by drastic physiological as well as psychological development, is undoubtedly daunting. With the rise of social media, this period has become increasingly difficult for teenagers to navigate as social media continues to transform the way they develop psychologically. By increasing their need for social validation, creating a sense of hyper-connectivity, and encouraging an unprecedented lack of empathy, social media negatively impacts self-esteem, a pillar of the social and emotional development endured by teens in these formative years. The result of this impact, low self-esteem is linked to a plethora of serious outcomes ranging from eating disorders and anxiety, to substance abuse and depression. These outcomes are the reasons why social media's effect on the self-esteem of teenagers is an issue worth addressing.
ContributorsBradshaw, Sydney Brenda (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description

This Thesis presentation and book review is on social media manipulation and the issue of media algorithms developing a close minded perspective in individuals. It discusses the mechanics of these algorithms, the definition of social media manipulation, and the neutral negative impacts on the polarization of our country. It also

This Thesis presentation and book review is on social media manipulation and the issue of media algorithms developing a close minded perspective in individuals. It discusses the mechanics of these algorithms, the definition of social media manipulation, and the neutral negative impacts on the polarization of our country. It also goes into detail on how I applied this research to design projects throughout 4th year of the Visual Communication Design Program.

ContributorsRomero, Emily Gene (Author) / Sanft, Alfred (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

A visual investigation surrounding the societal problem of parasocial relationships, stemming from the advent of viewers' interactions with content creators on platforms like Youtube. My goal was to research my chosen topic in order to provide a basis for a physical exhibit embodying and explaining the dangers and potential solutions

A visual investigation surrounding the societal problem of parasocial relationships, stemming from the advent of viewers' interactions with content creators on platforms like Youtube. My goal was to research my chosen topic in order to provide a basis for a physical exhibit embodying and explaining the dangers and potential solutions for the problem, as well as formulate a written and printed book documenting my process throughout the course of my senior year.

ContributorsVan Camp, Emily (Author) / Sanft, Al (Thesis director) / Montgomery, Eric (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users want from ecommerce packaging and work to design a solution that is better for users, businesses, and the environment as a whole.

ContributorsRix, Cory (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / McCurdy, Charlotte (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users want from ecommerce packaging and work to design a solution that is better for users, businesses, and the environment as a whole.
ContributorsRix, Cory (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / McCurdy, Charlotte (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users want from ecommerce packaging and work to design a solution that is better for users, businesses, and the environment as a whole.
ContributorsRix, Cory (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / McCurdy, Charlotte (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular, and plastic based e-commerce packaging still dominates a large portion of the market. Most plastic is incapable of biodegrading, and even recyclable plastic is thrown away 90% of the time due to overcomplicated recycling policies. In this project, I study what users want from ecommerce packaging and work to design a solution that is better for users, businesses, and the environment as a whole.
ContributorsRix, Cory (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / McCurdy, Charlotte (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2023-05