The video productions class at Revere High School competed in a contest where students produced videos to bring awareness for teen anxiety issues.

Video productions teacher Nicholas Kos first began assigning the project to his video production students two years ago when he was approached by the Parent Teacher Student Association. Kos explained how the contest started.

“The [Public Service Announcement] contest originated here at Revere two years ago when I was approached by [Maria] Manning and [Donna] Carr, who had the vision to have students film PSAs in order to help their peers cope with certain social situations and to learn and practice certain health tips,” Kos said.

This year, Kos enlisted the help of local life coach Sarah Ross to help design the overall goals of the PSA contest. She explained why the PTSA wanted to focus this year’s projects on anxiety.

“We decided to make PSAs about anxiety specific to teen issues so that teens know that they are not alone and that help is available. Anxiety should not be ignored and it is [essentially] a normal biological response when the the body senses that ‘something is not right.’ We wanted to encourage students to understand that paying attention to this bodily response is important and that there are counselors in place at the school to help,” Ross said.

In past years the PTSA has enlisted the help of Kos’ class to create video PSAs to reinforce other topics of discussion. Three years ago, the videos focused on the dangers of marijuana, the next year encouraged good hygiene, and last year the videos tried to educate students on how to prevent injuries due to backpacks and using technology. Manning explained the focus of this years’ videos.

“[The] four videos highlighted the symptoms of anxiety and strategies for overcoming anxiety as it relates to teen relationships, social media, fitting in, and dealing with parents. We felt that focusing on teen anxiety is very important,” Manning said.

Manning said that many times a teen feels anxiety due to irrational thoughts. She went on to explain an example situation with some tips on what to do. In an example situation a student becomes anxious about not receiving a timely response to a text.

“[Some teens] assume, irrationally, that the other person is mad at them or not answering on purpose. They may obsess over it and feel quite anxious. Instead, they need to replace irrational thoughts with rational ones, like maybe [the other person’s] phone is dead, they are unable to respond, or they are away from their phone,” Manning said.

Revere senior Jon Appicella’s group won the PSA contest this year. He explained why he believes that mental health issues are important to teens.

“Even though our video came across as lighthearted at some points, we want everyone to know teen anxiety is a real issue that is not dealt with properly. If you had a broken leg you would see a doctor but most people would not see a therapist or a doctor for mental issues. Mental illness is real and we are fighting to bring awareness to its importance next to physical injuries or disabilities,” Appicella said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety, the at Risk Student Coordinator, Bonnie Simonelli can be contacted at [email protected].