MYTH BUSTERS - DIGITAL TAKEBACK
FUNDED BY THE ART COUNCIL ENGLAND NATIONAL LOTTERY PROJECT GRANT - 2025
MythBusters – Digital Take Back is a social impact media project created to help young people challenge harmful online narratives, misinformation and emotional pressures caused by social media. The project explores the impact of unrealistic lifestyles, perfection culture, online addiction and the silent struggles that many people experience behind their screens. Through film, poetry, spoken word, photography and community dialogue, MythBusters encourages digital awareness, emotional healing and the reclaiming of personal wellbeing in an increasingly digital world.
The project was funded by Arts Council England and created and delivered by Diyodi Devinda Menon, Project Manager of Humanity Media CIC, who led the creative direction, workshops and film production under the MythBusters – Digital Take Back programme.
What the Project Did
The project delivered a series of digital media workshops, filmmaking sessions and awareness discussions across the West Midlands. Participants learned how online content affects mental health, identity and self-esteem, and created original digital stories that questioned the myths presented across popular platforms. A major part of the programme involved producing short artistic films that reveal the contrast between online perfection and the hidden emotional reality many people face. These films are raw, reflective and deeply personal, giving a voice to silent experiences often overlooked.
The project also created an online campaign titled Digital Take Back, encouraging young people to break harmful online patterns, understand emotional triggers and develop healthier digital habits. The campaign included reflection prompts, short films, creative expressions and awareness materials designed to support those struggling with isolation, shame, comparison and addiction.
Impact and Reach
MythBusters gained strong social media engagement and reached a wide audience across the region. The films and creative content were shared widely by youth groups, community organisations and mental health advocates, helping the project build awareness around the emotional strain caused by modern digital culture. The project also provided a platform for young voices to speak openly about their mental health challenges and the pressure to maintain unrealistic online identities.
The workshops saw participation from young people, migrant communities, LGBTQ+ communities and individuals who often feel silenced within traditional support systems. Through this project, many participants expressed that they felt heard, understood and empowered to take control of their digital wellbeing.
Communities and Partnerships
MythBusters collaborated with community groups, arts centres, schools and local creative networks to reach participants from diverse backgrounds. Humanity Media CIC worked in collaboration with partner organisations to deliver the MythBusters Film Festival, creating a public platform to showcase the films, amplify young voices and extend the project’s impact beyond the workshops.
These partnerships enabled the project to create safe spaces where young people could explore complex emotions, reflect on their online experiences and build supportive peer connections.
Why MythBusters Matters
MythBusters – Digital Take Back is more than a media project. It is a creative intervention that brings honesty, vulnerability and emotional truth back into the digital space. By using film, poetry and storytelling, the project helps individuals confront hidden struggles, release internal pressure and begin a journey toward healthier digital life habits.
The project also demonstrates the power of creativity as a tool for mental health awareness, community connection and personal transformation, particularly for voices that are often unheard within mainstream digital and support systems.
MYTHBUSTERS – DIGITAL TAKE BACK
Delivered by Diyodi Devinda Menon
Project Summary
MythBusters – Digital Take Back was delivered as a youth-led digital arts and wellbeing programme supporting young people to
challenge social media myths, emotional pressures, comparison culture, and misinformation through creative expression.
Across the project period, Humanity Media CIC delivered:
42 creative workshops
3 partner youth groups
A public screening event and a Film Festival at Lockworks Cinema Wolverhampton.
A wide range of youth-produced digital works
An online campaign reaching over 1.2 million people
The project was delivered successfully and in full.
Workshop Delivery
A total of 42 workshops were delivered across the three groups.
Workshops focused on:
Film & video storytelling
Digital design and infographics
Sound and audio creation
Spoken word & poetry expression
Digital wellbeing & self-awareness
Misinformation and online harm
Emotional resilience and identity
Diversity, community & cultural awareness
Short-form content: TikToks, Reels, memes, visual posts
Creative development sessions leading to final outputs
These sessions enabled young people to build digital, creative, social and emotional skills through hands-on making and guided reflection.
Partner Organisations & Delivery Locations
YAG – Youth Advisory Group
Workshops delivered in:
Wolverhampton Art Gallery Café
West Park
My Baobab Youth Group
Workshops delivered at:
Naturally You Health Centre
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Workshops delivered onsite with students and young participants.
Social Media Reach
The project’s online presence achieved exceptional visibility, reaching over 1.2 million people across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Engagement included strong interaction with reels, short films, promotional clips, and festival-related posts.
This reach significantly exceeded expectations, ACE anticipated around 1,100 impressions, meaning the project delivered more than 1,000 times the projected audience reach. This demonstrates extraordinary digital impact and strong resonance with wider communities.
Outcomes
Participants developed a broad set of creative skills, including filmmaking, editing, digital storytelling, data visualisation, sound design, spoken word, and short-form social content creation.
They also strengthened their critical awareness of online harm and the emotional pressures associated with social media. Young people reported feeling seen, supported, and able to express themselves with greater confidence, showing improvements in emotional literacy, reduced comparison behaviours, and increased self-esteem.
At a community level, the project deepened relationships between youth groups and creative facilitators, elevated underrepresented voices, and contributed to long-term digital wellbeing resources. For Humanity Media CIC, the project enhanced safeguarding practices, expanded partnerships, developed festival-delivery expertise, improved digital production systems, and strengthened overall community presence.
Every journey begins with a spark, a single story that inspires countless others. This short film follows Rhiannon’s personal path of growth, resilience, and creativity.
Through her experiences, we see how art, courage, and community can come together to inspire change and remind us that one voice can light the way for many.
A film that celebrates the power of transformation, storytelling, and human connection.
Funded by the Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant.
Facilitators Who Delivered the Workshops
YAG, My Baobab and Wolverhampton Grammar School Workshops Delivered By:
Diyodi Devinda Menon
Jas Kapur
Damayanthi Muthukumaranage
Dr. Tharumal
Lahiru Peries
Maggie Keeley
Keeley Adams
Jeremy
George Perera
Jeremy Salamon
These facilitators ensured each group had consistent support, diverse perspectives, and tailored creative guidance.
Mythbusters - Digital Takeback productions
Out of the Loop is a psychological short film exploring what it feels like to fall out of rhythm with the world around you.
Story A young person tries to keep up with the expectations around them, but every conversation feels offbeat, every interaction slightly out of sync.
This film was produced with students from Wolverhampton Grammar School and The Lie Feed team as part of the MythBusters Digital Take Back Project.
Diyodi Menon guided these young creators through the filmmaking process, helping them shape their ideas into a powerful and honest story.
Funded by the Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant.
THE INTERVIEW is a psychological short film about the noise inside the mind ,the hum of anxiety, the pressure to perform, and the silent battles no one sees.
A man arrives for what he believes is a normal job interview… but instead, he faces the most difficult interrogation of all: himself. This film explores themes of identity, emptiness, self-worth, and the moment a person finally tells the truth they’ve been hiding from themselves.
Funded by the Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant.
THE FOLLOWER is a psychological short film created as part of the MythBusters Digital Take Back Project.
This film explores obsession, isolation and the hidden pressures of living in a world shaped by social media.
Diyodi Menon guided these young creators through the entire filmmaking process, from concept development to final production, helping them transform their ideas into a powerful and unsettling story.
This film was supported by Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant.