This project is born out of the need to understand and document today’s teenagers and their obsession with technology and social media.
This project is on teenagers, their obsessive use of social media and how it seems to be shaping their self-image in a negative way. Backed by clinical studies showing increased stress levels, feelings of disconnect, anxiety disorders and depression amongst teenagers who have, for many years, been exposed to prolonged periods of cellphone & screen usage. Research is now emerging showing a strong correlation to increases in time spent on screens with these psychological and emotional disorders.
My plan calls for an extensive outreach program to teenagers from various socio-economic backgrounds in many parts of Ontario. A call for participation will be put out through various schools, community centres and social & mental health organizations and outreach programs seeking those who are willing to be photographed as part of an ongoing series- and to write openly about their experiences.
The goal is to initiate positive change, where teens will think about themselves and their behaviour patterns through the process of self-reflection.
I continue to seek funding for this project so that young people can benefit and the mental health organizations I will be working with can learn from my findings to help in their research. To my knowledge, a photo project of this scope has never been undertaken before.
A photo exhibition, book and a series of artists’ talks and media exposure will be forthcoming once the project is completed.
This is a timely and important project that needs to be done. Please feel free to contact me directly at teenomophobia@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.
STEVE STOBER is a Toronto-based portrait photographer. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has photographed people from all walks of life, in many parts of the world. His work is known for its authenticity, originality and sensitivity. For over 15 years, he operated a successful commercial portrait studio in Toronto. where he specialized in photographing children and teenagers. His last major project in 2008 was on women’s body image. It was praised by the art critic for the Toronto Star as "one of the most truly important and mesmerizing photographic projects to come out of this city in the past five years or more." Like this new project, it was way ahead of its time. Never before had the subject of women’s body image been photographed and discussed so openly.
Children nowadays are introduced to basic navigational skills on computers and iPads, like touching keys, by the time they reach nine months old. By the time they are just two years old, they are already advanced in keyboarding operations and commands. By the time they reach six years old, many children are given their own cellphones. So by the time they reach ten, they are more fluent in social media, texting and internet navigation than any previous generation in history.