Phase 1
4 months
Tech research: what’s out there?
Research body: “Best/worst social practice since the advent of social media from AOL Instant Messenger to TikTok. The research will focus on founder intentions, UX functionalities, profile specs, interaction triggers, content moderation, engagement tools, and business models.
A timeline will help highlight social media and benchmarks.

Staff
Lead researcher: £270 x 15 days a month = £3,750
Junior researcher: £150 x 15 days a month = £2,250
Designer: £220 x 5 days a month = £1,100
Estimated total cost: Senior and junior researcher + designer = £7,100


Phase 2
4 to 6 months
Development of an MPV
Focus on functionalities: sign up / personal profile/ private messaging / post features / feed, search and comment features / groups
Includes: UI/UX design / custom development / project management / quality assurance / business analysis.

Staff
Creative director + UI + developer
Estimated total cost: £45,000


Phase 3
4 to 6 months
Igniting the movement
The campaign will be fostered with a first circle of around 6 to 8 Teenager Ambassadors.
The movement consists of building genuine connections between teenagers through stories, interviews and conversations with experts. This inclusive and accomplice partnership will provide genuine content “in their own words”, and through the first testing phase, help fine-tune the user experience.
The movement will initially grow through bespoke one-to-one messaging to each teen’s circle of friends.
The same principle will be used to share content and initiatives with grassroot, non-profit and for-profit entities and media.

Staff
Lead marketing: £350 x 15 days per month = £5,250
Junior social: £150 x 15 days per month = £2,250
Designer: £220 x 5 days per month = £1,100
Estimation total cost: £8,600

Total investment over initial 18-month phase: £60,700

254 million
In 2030 the world population of obese children and adolescents is predicted to grow to 254 million – an increase of more than 60% from today. Source: TheGuardian.co.uk

China & South Africa
The two countries that will have the largest increase in the number of obese children between 2017 and 2030.
Source: TheGuardian.co.uk

1 in 4
Obesity rates in the United Kingdom are the highest in Europe. In the UK, 2 out of 3 men are overweight and 1 in 4 people are obese. In England, rates have increased faster than in most OECD countries. The proportion of people overweight in England is projected to rise a further 10% over the next 10 years.
Source: OECD

£9.7 billion
“Failing to address the challenge posed by the obesity epidemic will place an even greater burden on NHS [National Health System] resources. It is estimated that the NHS spent £6.1 billion on overweight and obesity-related ill-health in 2014 to 2015. The UK-wide NHS costs attributable to overweight and obesity are projected to reach £9.7 billion by 2050.”
Source: gov.uk

43%
Girls with obesity were 43% more likely to experience anxiety or depression compared with similarly aged girls. Adolescents trying to lose weight or who described themselves as overweight had greater symptoms of depression. For girls in particular, these symptoms have become more severe in Gen Z compared to earlier generations.

Body mass index (BMI)
The medical definition for overweight is based on body mass index (BMI): a person’s height divided by the square of their height. An overweight person has a BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 kg/m2.

Chronic disease
“Obesity is a chronic medical disease that can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity associated cardiovascular disease such as heart disease, gallstones, and other chronic illnesses. Obesity is a risk factor for a number of cancers. It is difficult to treat and has a high relapse rate. Most people who lose weight regain the weight within five years. The treatment of obesity cannot be a short-term ‘fix’ but has to be a lifelong commitment to proper diet habits, increased physical activity, and regular exercise. The goal of treatment should be to achieve and maintain a "healthier weight," not necessarily an ideal weight. The chances of long-term successful weight loss are enhanced if the doctor works with a team of professionals, including dietitians, psychologists, and exercise professionals.”
Source: MedicineNet

Body weight and mental health

This subtheme might be central to the project. Body image, body shape and bullying, as well as social media malpractices from the infamous “cancel” culture to bullying on social media. A plethora of academic reports have approached the topic and would need to be cross-referenced and summarized. A few examples:
2012 Report “Overweight, body image and bullying – an epidemiological study of 11- to 15-years olds”
2012 Report “The Relationship Between Obesity and Depression Among Adolescents”
2019 Report On social stigma, depression and discrimination: “Overweight teen girls more likely to be depressed as adults”

Social media and ethics

“What we need is for enough students to learn to use ethical thinking during design to make a difference in the world.”—Barbara Grosz, Higgins Research Professor of Natural Sciences at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

“For most organizational leaders, it’s no longer possible to not be enmeshed in technology, no matter the industry or sector. Leaders and their organizations simply can’t call themselves technologically savvy if they’re not thinking about the ethical implications of how their employees, customers, and others within their ecosystems are using technologies.”
https://digitalagenda.io/insight/ethical-tech-making-ethics-a-priority/

“While in the start-up and development phases, Casey [Fiesler] encourages tech leaders and designers to put themselves into the minds of ‘awful people’. Consider how they might use this technology if it became more widespread: ‘When you are designing a technology, part of that process should be thinking about how bad actors might use it. Then design it to make that more difficult.’ – “Why Ethics Matter For Social Media, Silicon Valley And Every Tech Industry Leader”, Forbes

“‘The skill of ethical reasoning is best learned and practiced through open and inclusive discussion with others,’ [David] Grant wrote in an email. ‘But extensive in-class discussion is rare in computer science courses, which makes encouraging active participation in our modules unusually challenging.’” – “Trailblazing initiative marries ethics, tech”, Harvard.edu