Selma Essaoudy Oksvold

slimisel@hotmail.com

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A digital crisis: kids and screens

My long-form piece came about from witnessing a rapid and ubiquitous shift in people’s relationships with smart devices, particularly among increasingly younger people, and the undeniable, exacerbated effects this has been having on society as a whole. From the shift and loss of childhoods, where toys and interactive play are being replaced by screens, to escalations in mental health and social difficulties.

The challenges felt far and wide; the more I dug into the subject, the more difficult I found it to narrow these issues down to a single problem statement. I wish for this piece not only to highlight these societal shifts, but also to express the crucial role of governments, teachers, parents and even the future Gen Z generation in making a more conscious effort to inform and reshape perceptions around the dangers of a highly online society, for the better of our future generations.

The Avian Plight in a different light (Photo-journalism)

Whether it be the pigeons, having to progressively adapt to a significantly more hostile urban environment after humans decided to leave them to fend for themselves after hundreds of years of domestication, being treated as dirty, troublesome “rats of the sky” by those who used to hold them dear. Or it be the majestic birds of prey having their freedom reduced to a 5m2 cage, so close to the freedom of nature, but sentenced to a fenced in life. I wanted to make this photo-essay to show appreciation, as well as contest any misconceptions concerning these highly intelligent and sentient animals. Deciding to apply more portrait-styled and close-up images to attain a more humane feel throughout this essay, I hope this will shed a new and different light on these national avian beings.

The other side of the refugee (Podcast)

This podcast is an intimate, interview-based discussion with refugees about their current experiences living in a new and different place, listening to their personal struggles and achievements and attaining a more character-driven insight into their lives. The theme revolves around the lived experiences of the subjects, focusing on their present lives, including studies or work, mental health, relationships, dreams, wishes and regrets - areas that are often overlooked. By gathering testimonies from two refugees coming from two different parts of the world, the podcast sheds light on how individual experiences may differ, whilst also revealing their similarities. The project aims to bring a more human perspective to refugees, who are often reduced to a collective rather than seen as individuals with rich and intricate life stories. Through a minimal presenter voice, the participants guide the narrative, allowing their individuality and shared humanity to come forward.