ZETGENERATION – SMILE, EMPATHY, THERAPY. THE OPPORTUNITIES OF ART AND EDUCATION REGARDING DEPRESSION AMONG GENERATION Z PREADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Concurrent global events such as political changes, natural disasters, climatic changes, protests, wars, and pandemics are factors that help with defining a generation. What are the characteristics of Generation Z and what are the problems its members face? Preadolescence is a period during which individuals strongly feel the need to reflect deeply on what is happening to them. Several questions arise: “Who am I? Am I a normal person? Am I a competent person? Am I worthy of being loved?”; “How do I manage my emotions (e.g. fear, anger, and sadness)?”. Anxiety and depression disorders are two of the most common issues that arise during adolescence. The project ZETgeneration - Smile, Empathy, Therapy aims to facilitate access to culture for generation Z preadolescents affected by depression disorders, with the help of art and therapy. This is achieved through four contemporary art productions based on interviews and questionnaires conducted with 300 children from Iași. This article, an interdisciplinary perspective between art, education and mental health, explores how cinema, theater, and art therapy can prevent depression and encourage conversations between adults and children on topics related to mental health.