SofiaUnplugged

Digital and social innovations have allowed contemporary ideas to flourish in a constantly evolving community. Inventions have paved the way for innovations to enhance their experience and stay relevant for future situations to come. Throughout the session, I have not only learnt, but understood and practised the importance of digital and social innovation. Developing my own innovation transformed my prior knowledge of the digital world and opened a new chapter of ideas and opportunities to build on. The innovation I created is a reflection of my personal values and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations. From doing research, I was drawn to life below water for its large scope and sizable ecological variety around the world.  

The indicated video essay explores the visual disruption littering and pollution has on our oceans and waterways. It is no secret that tropical destinations visually sell themselves for their picture perfect beaches featuring clear water, white sand, and tropical sealife. Contrastingly, this satirical holiday advertisement style video challenges the viewer to critically think about the visually damaging effects pollution is having on these ‘picture perfect’ tropical holiday destinations, without overlooking the detrimental ecological impacts. Additionally the video emphasises how ignoring negative environmental conditions in developing nations can rapidly lead to ecological devastation in tropical environments, diminishing the ‘perfectness’ of it all. This video was created with a specific target audience in mind and an aim to spread ample awareness about the visual effects of littering on the surface level. Appropriate target audiences for this short satirical advertisement include young, affluent tourists, who are likely to travel to tropical developing nations especially. After viewing, audiences will feel more compelled to be more aware of their own waste management strategies while travelling and consider the fragility of developing nations’ unstable ecosystems. The video itself is not a direct advertisement for digital innovation, however it strongly alludes to the importance of the innovation created in the previous task. 

An important feature of the digital innovation we created (application for devices) is a waste management tracker, which individuals can use to help guide them to dispose of rubbish appropriately. The app itself is working towards being a transformative innovation to actively encourage individuals to take care of our oceans. Transformative Social Innovations aim to transform the system not just adapting it to certain issues or circumstances. As a co-evolutionary transformation it should focus and rely on socio-technical transitions. The TSI has an advantage from the perspective of transcending analysis of state or market failures (Avelino et al 2019). I have purposely included connections between the video and the digital innovation features to carry through multiple ways of incorporating TSI in multiple aspects of the task. By creating an interactive way for audiences to engage with the app, it becomes an inclusive, easy, comprehensive way to educate individuals. Market analysis research shows us that people are more inclined to engage with apps that prioritise utility value. By incorporating these features, the innovation can be transformative towards audiences’ opinions and actions leading to a transformation of the issue itself. Additionally, importantly leading to cleaner oceans and increased ecological health.  

Research strongly communicates that tourists are more likely to litter in developing countries, particularly in tropical nations where the environment is even more fragile due to its constant exposure to high levels of tourism (Hu et al 2018). As the world’s largest ecosystem, the ocean collects the most non-biodegradable materials out of every ecosystem. A high volume of these materials is small plastics, even micro plastics, which in particular are suffocating this essential ecosystem at a rapid rate due to its higher concentration. The lightweight nature of plastic makes it even easier for it to get into waterways and float on top of coastal oceans. Sustainable Development Goal 14 coherently depicts the major harm industrialisation and the rapid increase in single use plastics has on the ocean, emphasising the emergency situation. With a focus on non-biodegradable materials, the United Nations has specifically highlighted plastic pollution as a fundamental factor of the emergency situation for its devastating abilities. Littering is often overlooked as a primary cause of climate change for organisation’s straightforward approach of telling you to pick up after yourself. This innovation transforms the simplicity of cleaning up our oceans and reinforces the severity of littering and its journey to the ocean.   

Contemporary tourists are drawn to visually aesthetic locations to capture the perfect destination image and positive associations with it. Tourism makes up a very large percentage of developing nations’ economies, especially coastal locations and islands for its photogenic nature and strong association with relaxation. Social media has allowed for people to easily share images of these beautiful tropical locations leading to a rapid increase in tourists in these locations. However, tourists are equally uninformed about the dangers of rubbish and pollution in the ocean. This is leading to increased unnecessary waste on beaches and in the ocean, degrading the visually pleasing nature of these areas and eventually having an impact on tourism numbers. Importantly, tourism is becoming the cause for increased risk for environmental insecurity of these once highly resilient ecosystems. Therefore these nations are losing financial stability and environmental stability.   

 A recent holiday to Thailand allowed me to notice a distinct difference in the water quality and clarity on the mainland compared to surrounding islands. Incredible amounts of rubbish, mostly plastic such as bottles, bags, food packets were floating in the mainland coastal waters as if it was a dump which reflected a lack of care for the local ecosystem. In comparison, the clear waters around the Thai islands allowed for snorkelling to see the vibrant underwater ecosystems of live coral and fish. Seeing this, I had a newfound appreciation for ocean ecosystems, seeing the improper attitude individuals show towards it on an everyday basis had an upsetting impact. Traditional waste methods are now often not appropriate as experts have learnt the best ways for today’s society to follow. Developing nations have less opportunity to access targeted education on specific topics like this, including environmental education. The lack of knowledge of the irreversible contemporary damage done to the ecological environment is apparent in these poorer nations. Hence, this digital innovation enhances the ability to show the community the use of adequate waste disposal methods and management.   

Plastic carries valuable properties such as being inexpensive and easily accessible, therefore many manufacturers resort to using it for an array of products. Due to its versatility, plastic can be used for almost anything, and producers have used it to their advantage, cutting manufacturing costs. It would be very difficult to live without plastic as it has become a key material of the manufacturing world. However, plastic is a non-biodegradable material and in most cases it is used for single use packaging therefore having a short life…right? Wrong, throwing plastic away is not the end of its life and it can easily end up in an inappropriate environment such as the ocean. The light weight durability of plastic allows for it to easily end up in the ocean creating a significant hazard. Research shows that now almost every single living marine organism contains plastic in its body from ingestion.     

Specific techniques were strategically incorporated in the video to effectively communicate the overall message to target audiences. One key technique I made effective use of is the use of satire, which not only initially captures the audience’s attention but also makes the content more engaging and easier to watch. The satirical tone adds a hint of irony and dark humor, which often is appreciated by modern viewers accustomed to similar media. However, this tone is consciously balanced not to dim the severity of the issue; instead, it is employed to highlight the inaction being done in the situation.

Another important technique is the deliberate use of the juxtaposition between each clip throughout the video. By contrasting perfect tropical images of the natural environment with current footage showing littered and polluted areas, the video underscores the harsh reality and difference between what once was and what is currently happening. It serves as a visual warning, reminding audiences of the potential future of these environments if proactive measures are not taken. 

Additionally, some clips are intentionally confronting, highlighting the raw and unsettling reality of environmental destruction. They are a necessary inclusion to illustrate the urgency of the situation, providing real evidence of the environmental crises unfolding right now. These visual choices aim to move the audience emotionally, encouraging a deeper understanding and a sense of responsibility to act.

To conclude, digital and social innovations, if skillfully executed, are vital tools in a contemporary world for individuals to understand underlying issues in the world. Environmental awareness as an example shows the power innovation holds to transform the attitudes and actions around littered oceans in developing nations. 

Reference list

Al-Shamaileh, O & Sutcliffe, A 2023, ‘Why people choose Apps: An evaluation of the ecology and user experience of mobile applications’, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, vol. 170, p. 102965.

Avelino, F, Wittmayer, JM, Pel, B, Weaver, P, Dumitru, A, Haxeltine, A, Kemp, R, Jørgensen, MS, Bauler, T, Ruijsink, S & O’Riordan, T 2019, ‘Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 145, Elsevier BV, pp. 195–206.

Hu, H, Zhang, J, Chu, G, Yang, J & Yu, P 2018, ‘Factors influencing tourists’ litter management behavior in mountainous tourism areas in China’, Waste Management, vol. 79, pp. 273–286.

Pan, S, Lee, J & Tsai, H 2014, ‘Travel photos: Motivations, image dimensions, and affective qualities of places’, Tourism Management, vol. 40, pp. 59–69.

Pel, B, Haxeltine, A, Avelino, F, Dumitru, A, Kemp, R, Bauler, T, Kunze, I, Dorland, J, Wittmayer, J & Jørgensen, MS 2020, ‘Towards a theory of transformative social innovation: A relational framework and 12 propositions’, Research Policy, vol. 49, no. 8, p. 104080.

United Nations 2023, Goal 14 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs, sdgs.un.org.Wabnitz, C & Nichols, W 2010, Editorial: Plastic Pollution: An Ocean Emergency.