INTERACTIVE WEB COMICS FOR TEENS AGED 15-18 WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY

• Main Author: GRACIANI (NIM: 17414045), KEZIA
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/28451
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

As youths grow into adulthood, a myriad of changes happen psychologically. However, not all teenagers can go through adolescence smoothly without a hitch. For that reason, a lot of teenagers feel pressured and anxious socially, resulting in social anxiety while they are trying to fit in among their peers. Social Anxiety is a phenomenon described as being extremely wary of someone else’s evaluation and judgement regardless of whether they are imaginary or real. The root of anxiety problems is caused by identity crisis in their social environment inevitable during teenagers aged 15-18 years old.. Teenagers place a great deal of importance in fitting in among their peers to the extent of changing themselves in order to be accepted. For example, teenage girls tend to be appraised by their outward appearance while teenage boys by their efficacy. Unfortunately during the process of fitting socially, they run into nothing short of anxiety problems that arise from the very social circle they’re trying to gain independence from. To reach the target audience, message of self-acceptance can be delivered through interactive webcomics. The majority of webcomic readers are teenagers. By using their preferred way of delivery in the form of comics, content can conveyed in a more interesting way with less patronizing. Narration is wrapped up into several routes, each containing a moral message tailored to the needs of teenage anxiety especially female adolescents that are more prone to social anxiety. When they choose those routes, they can identify their own anxiety. It is important for teens to know their own roots of anxiety and form an awareness that their anxiety should not define their self-image. When teenagers start to develop confidence to accept themselves, the threat of social anxiety will be significantly reduced. Hence through this design, contents focusing on self-acceptance will serve as the first step for them to counter social anxiety.