Transmedia Storytelling for Educating Social Media Users of Fast Fashion
Updated: Sep 27, 2022
United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability | Japan
Team members: Tendai Joshua Madzivanyika, and Rafiatu Umarayi Alhassan
We are master's students at the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability in Japan, and our names are Rafiatu Umarayi Alhassan and Joshua Tendai. People are so in love with fashion that it is both a passion and a vocation for them. We are both fashion fans and have researched fashion trends.
Fast fashion is on the rise; today's youth are interested in current clothing and replace their wardrobes virtually every day. The issue with rapid fashion is disposal and recycling, not changing garments. Our project aims to communicate stories about how fast fashion contributes to global warming through transmedia.
We'll use films and infographics to produce material to disseminate information on We'll use films and infographics to develop content to spread knowledge about fast fashion clothing production and disposal. Stating information from businesses and organizations. We are looking forward to six months of learning and fun.
Report 1: June 2022
This project seeks to use Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to create awareness of the impacts of Fast Fashion. We will use stories from different countries and perspectives to raise awareness. However, the focus is on Ghana, how clothes are disposed of in the Global South, and its effects on the environment.
The project kicked off on 13th June 2022. The project has social media handles that go by Foose Chat on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The Facebook page has 63 likes so far and a following of 3. YouTube has no likes and one followership because we have not posted any content on the platform yet. We plan to use more infographics as it catches people’s attention and takes less time to read and view.
In the coming month, we are introducing videos, the second phase of the project, which will include stories from different countries and their experiences with Fast Fashion. We will upload these videos on our social media platforms on a weekly basis.
The project uses a social blade to analyze the progress of the social media page and channel.
Report 2: July 2022
As of now, the Facebook page has a following of 101. YouTube has 1 likes and 1 followership. We have 2 videos on Facebook, with 628 likes for the first video and 420 likes for the second video.
Currently, we plan to use more videos as it catches people’s attention and it takes less time to read and view.
In the coming month, we are introducing videos, the third phase of the project, which will include a 3-minute video from our laboratory members on the fast fashion supply chains.
These videos will be uploaded on our social media platforms on a weekly basis.
The project uses a social blade to analyze the progress of the social media page and channel. The results shown so far show steady growth.
Report 3: August 2022
As of now, the Facebook page has a following of 106 and 5 videos. YouTube has, on average, 30 likes on the 4 videos uploaded and 27 followers.
Currently, we plan to use more videos as it catches people's attention and it takes less time to read and view.
In the coming month, we are introducing videos, which constitute the project's third phase and will include a 3-minute video from our laboratory members on the fast fashion supply chains.
These videos will be uploaded on our social media platforms on a weekly basis.
The project uses a social blade to analyze the progress of the social media page and channel. The results shown so far show steady growth.
We have contacted Uniqlo, Shein, and H&M about their sustainability strategies in producing apparel. We also want to create a Google form to collate information on individuals' interests and knowledge of Fast Fashion.
Here you can see the growth of our pages:
Report 4: September 2022
The project has progressed positively; in September, I was invited as a speaker to speak on climate change and health by ActionAid in Ghana. At the conference, I highlighted how our decision in fashion affects the environment, which affects our health directly or indirectly. The project has also been given a partnership to work with ActionAid, Ghana, for six months on a project for artists in various sectors, from arts, music, and content creation to journalists. We have also created a Google Form to collect data on people’s perceptions of Fast Fashion and Sustainable Fashion.
We have had challenges. The project objective was to hold discussions about FF; however, people are unwilling to talk about FF because they are consumers of FF. So some felt it would be unfair to be talking about FF, as they are the participants of FF.
Another challenge was getting experts to talk on the topic, as our platform was small, and some needed bigger platforms to speak about FF and other climate change topics.
In October, there will be a Television program in Ghana. I will join the panelists to talk about climate change and Fast Fashion.
