During my 1-2-1 tutorial with Nigel, he clarified and explained some aspects to the brief that up until now I had misunderstood. I thought this critical report would be a predecessor to the thesis and as such I was trying to focus my critical report topic within the scope of what I wanted to explore in my later wider research. Nigel explained that while we could do this, it would be more effective for us to move onto a different topic for the thesis, especially with the limited word count of the critical report.
Since the 1-2-1 I’ve been considering alternative topics for the critical report, and I think I would like to explore how digital media can specifically help the healing process of viewers struggling with mental illness. While I have seen a lot of research on the general effects to mental health across the board, and on representation of mental illness within digital media, I haven’t seen specific research on my specific desired topic. I do think I would be able to find a lot of interesting research supporting the topic, yet I would be curious to know how well documented it is considering the ethical implications of conducting a study on such a topic when, unlike more traditional treatment methods, I assume it doesn’t have a viable basis as a potential treatment method depending on the outcome of such a study.
If I were to research this topic, I think it would also be useful supporting research to have examples of digital media specifically centred around exploring mental illness in a respectful yet accurate/realistic way. The first two examples that come to mind are Joker (2019), and Russian Doll (2019).
With the Joker, I found the depiction of a man being let down by the mental health treatment system very profound in a time where many are experiencing the same thing. I have seen some criticise the movie based on the idea that mental illness is being depicted as the reason for the main character’s violence, but I personally consider it a (perhaps extreme but still realistic) example of how mentally ill people can suffer and cause suffering when the system they ask for help fails them repeatedly.
As for Russian Doll, I see the series as a raw and honest journey from the point of suffering with mental illness and trauma to finally being ready to start healing. Both characters Nadia and Alan are forced by the narrative to acknowledge their mental health issues, with the narrative both punishing them when partaking in toxic and unhealthy coping strategies, and only progressing as they choose to take the difficult steps towards healing.
While I think the Joker could be an interesting way to explore how difficult the healing process can be without the proper help from the health system, I feel Russian Doll would offer a more clear and concise narrative to explore such a topic with.