"We create comics about issues that almost every young person faces: anxiety, stress, conflicts with loved ones, loneliness, self-esteem issues, and self-discovery," say students who develop the "Psychological Comics" project at Moscow Polytechnic University. In our "In Focus" column, we continue to highlight projects being implemented at the university as part of the "Project-Based Activities" program.
About Psychology—without fear, dullness, or stigma
The "Psychological Comics" team includes over 50 future designers, advertisers, journalists, and IT professionals studying at Moscow Polytech. Their goal is to communicate with teenagers and young adults about psychology through comics. Anna Filonova, PhD in Psychology and Associate Professor of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in the Media Industry at the Faculty of Economics and Management at Moscow Polytech lead the team.
— What makes the project relevant?
Anna Filonova: Mental health is increasingly being discussed today, and young people are seeking answers to important questions: why am I anxious, how can I cope with stress, and is it okay to ask for help? However, along with this growing interest comes another problem. Students and teenagers often turn to social media and search engines rather than to specialists. There, they can stumble upon useful material, as well as random, unverified, harmful advice, and outright pseudo-psychology. Therefore, it is especially important to create accessible, safe, and understandable content.
The "Psychological Comics" project emerged as an attempt to address complex issues simply and honestly, through stories in which we can identify with ourselves. Our idea is simple: sometimes it is easier for people to understand their feelings when they see a character who is going through something similar.
— How are your comics different fr om lectures, articles, or videos?
Anna Filonova: Young people today are accustomed to perceiving information through visual formats, images, short text, plot, and emotion. Comics combine all of this at once—they allow a complex topic to be explained simply and evoke an emotional response, creating a sense of recognition: "Oh, that's about me."
Furthermore, comics are easy to publish on messengers and VK social media. They offer posts, cards, stories, and short series. This content is easier to read, discuss, and forward to friends.
— What problems do you hope to solve with this project?
Anna Filonova: First, prevention. If you tell a teenager or student early on what to do if they are emotionally overwhelmed and who to turn to for support, you can reduce the risk of the problem becoming more serious.
Second, it is about fighting stigma. Many people still believe that seeing a psychologist is "shameful" or "not for me." We want to show the opposite: psychological difficulties are a part of life, and taking care of one's well-being is a normal and adult practice.
Thirdly, it is an alternative to unprofessional advice. We want content to be created based on psychological knowledge and expert review
— What topics do you cover?
Anna Filonova: Our comics focus on what really concerns young people. Here are the main themes: exam stress; anxiety and emotional burnout; bullying and loneliness; relationships with parents; conflicts with friends or partners; self-doubt; finding one's path; fear of failure and the pressure of expectations.
It's important that we try to give people tools—simple self-help techniques, breathing exercises, ways to reduce anxiety, checklists, emotion diaries, mini-formats for self-observation, and reminders about professional help.
Social media plays a big role in our project. Today, it is a full-fledged communication environment. Therefore, the project is conceived not as a "showcase with pictures," but as a living community.
You can join the project on VK.
— Who is on the project team?
Anna Filonova: The team brings together students who want to create a useful social product. This means the project works in two directions: helping the audience and simultaneously developing digital volunteering.
We also note that we monitor the quality and reliability of our materials. Therefore, the content is created with the participation of specialists or, at a minimum, undergoes expert review. We are considering collaboration with psychologists, psychotherapists, specialized services, and universities.
— What prospects do you see for the project?
Anna Filonova: We want the project to remain a recognizable and useful platform wh ere young people come not for "motivational quotes," but for a clear and honest conversation about themselves.
In practical terms, this could look like this: a series of original comics on relevant topics; regular publications on social media; a developed community of subscribers; additional educational materials on self-help; interaction with the audience: surveys, questions, discussions; Collaboration with psychologists and relevant organizations.
The project's main value, perhaps, is that it speaks to young people in their own language.
