“Thief of Joy”

Team Members

• Jordyn Balam, Advertising and Public Relations and Psychology

• Avery Phillips, Information Science and Psychology

“Thief of Joy” is a short dance film that depicts the impacts of comparison culture on youth mental health and the resources that are available to help with this prevailing issue. We focused on three predominant aspects of comparison: ability, academic, and appearance-based comparisons. Regarding resources, we highlighted school-based support, community guidance and skill building, and crisis hotlines, as these are all support systems that can bolster mental health. As young adults, we’ve experienced and struggled with these self-critical emotions throughout our lives. The medium of dance serves as a device to portray the complex, vulnerable, and powerful emotions associated with comparison. To us, dancing can depict struggle and intense emotion without the need for direct, verbal communication. It expresses things that words cannot. We hope that our film is able to translate the struggle that many face when it comes to mental health, as well as the hope and safety that comes from accessing mental health resources.