Born into a world with unprecedented access to unfiltered social networks, Generation Z grew up with constant pressure to conform to idealized beauty and lifestyle standards. Combined with rampant cyberbullying, where Malaysia is ranked the second highest country in Asia for youth cyberbullying[1], many youth are now living in an age plagued by the epidemic of anxiety.
Through its global CLEAR HEAD Project Report 2023, CLEAR found that half of all young people are worried about being judged on social media. The pressure to present a “perfect” image hinders their willingness to share authentic content. This ultimately can lead to individuals showcasing only “positive” elements of their lives or personality, even if this leads to presenting a skewed perception of themselves.
This has become the core of why many youths are shying away from being their most authentic selves or are thinking twice before posting anything online. Through its research, CLEAR has identified this growing experience as performance anxiety, the most common form of social anxiety believed to affect over 70% of youth. The research also showed that among youths experiencing performance anxiety, 3 in 4 had low self-efficacy and that those with higher self-efficacy were three times less prone to experiencing performance anxiety.
As such, CLEAR is determined to promote self-efficacy and other self-mastery tools to combat such performance anxiety, particularly for aspiring content creators. In partnership with the Resilience Research Centre, an institution based in Canada, CLEAR is introducing the CLEAR HEAD Project – an initiative designed to empower and equip young aspiring content creators who have been held back by social pressures and fears of judgement with the self-efficacy needed to succeed in their chosen endeavours.
“CLEAR is a brand built on clear-head confidence – and its purpose is all about empowering people with the resilience, knowledge, and tools needed to boost their performance in life. Performance, or the act of showing up and giving our best, holds immense significance in many facets of our life. With the ease of sharing content online and the widespread use of social media platforms today, the experience of performance anxiety has surged, offering individuals more avenues for judgement and heightened pressure to meet certain standards. This has resulted in amplified anxiety and stress for many youths and has undoubtedly impacted millions of people from fully achieving their true potential,” said Natalie Goh, Beauty & Wellbeing Business Unit Lead, Malaysia & Singapore.
First Ever #CLEARHeadProject Bootcamp Kicks off in Malaysia with Watsons Malaysia
CLEAR is piloting the #CLEARHeadProject Bootcamp in Malaysia alongside Watsons Malaysia to help aspiring content creators gain the confidence and self-belief needed to fully express their creative potential and to unleash their unique voice as a creator.
Targeted at Malaysian youths ages 18 to 25 years old, the #CLEARHeadProject Bootcamp offers:
- Expert Guidance and Support: Participants will receive expert guidance on performance anxiety and emotional management with a mental health professional to uncover their abilities and capabilities based on a well-researched curriculum.
- Insights from Top Content Creators: Attendees will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights from top content creators in Malaysia, Ting Shi Qi (Qiwiie), Maggy Wang (themaggywang), Gajen Chandra (Gajussy) and Eliyshia Abegail (Abby), who will share how they leverage self-efficacy in the face of social judgement and boost their confidence as content creators.
- Skills Mastery: Participants will experience authentic content creation through a guided segment where they put their learned skills to use.
Natalie added, “If you’ve ever felt anxious about putting yourself out there, this bootcamp is tailored for you. The #CLEARHeadProject bootcamp aims to help participants gain increased awareness about their thoughts and emotions, and be empowered to overcome performance anxiety by identifying and regulating it masterfully. We aim to better equip youth with tips on how they can build resilience and self-belief to bounce back from life’s challenges to fearlessly and boldly embrace new opportunities with a clear head.”
Registration for the bootcamp is now open and closes on 7 November 2023. For more information on the #CLEARHeadProject and to register, please visit https://www.ulmysg.com/my/clearheadproject/.
[1] Malaysia is 2nd in Asia for youth cyberbullying, https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/01/14/malaysia-is-2nd-in-asia-for-youth-cyberbullying.
