FIGHTING FOMO WITH FOCO: THE NEW PHENOMENON AMONGST UK KIDS
FIGHTING FOMO WITH FOCO:
THE NEW PHENOMENON AMONGST UK KIDS
- New research by The LEGO® Group reveals that 55% of UK children have been fighting FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) over the past year by becoming FOCOs (Finders of Creative Opportunities) discovering outlets for self-expression and learning via positive mood-boosting activities at a time when they’ve needed it most
- Singing sensation and Strictly finalist HRVY, radio DJ and I’m A Celebrity star Roman Kemp, and music icon and mum-of-five Sophie Ellis-Bextor come out in support of the creative generation, fronting a new #VIDIYOVibes campaign, encouraging 100,000 minutes of FOCO via a pass-it-on social media movement
- The campaign is backed by psychologist, Dr Victoria Williamson who has established a link between FOCO activities and mood improvement amongst kids
- Families can follow the trend and take part by downloading the free LEGO® VIDIYO™ app to create versions of their favourite music videos and share the results with loved ones within the safe environment of the LEGO VIDIYO app to give them a positivity lift
Research by The LEGO® Group reveals a new trend of FOCOs (Finders of Creative Opportunities), which sees over half (55%) of kids saying “no” to limitations of the past year and feelings of FOMO, and instead exploring outlets for creative expression and learning to boost their sense of positive wellbeing.
The past year has seen kids enjoy getting creative with new hobbies (44%); exploring activities including baking (40%), drawing (37%), playing on apps (37%), and playing with building blocks e.g. LEGO bricks (29%). Music has been a big part of their lives too, with kids finding opportunities to dance (19%), learn a musical instrument (14%), and write songs (10%).
The research also revealed that new apps have been a primary facilitator of creative opportunities (20%), and whilst 59% of kids have missed seeing their friends in person, almost a third (30%) have made the most of discovering new hobbies with their peers virtually
The LEGO Group has uncovered just how invaluable music, play and self-expression is to kids today, with music (64%) and other creative activities (29%) playing a role in boosting their mood over the past year, and 7 in 10 (74%) children globally saying music helps them to connect with friends (74%)[1]. Parents also recognise its importance, with nearly 9 in 10 (89%) believing that music benefits creativity[2].
Scholar and Consultant on the Psychology of Music, Dr Victoria Williamson, commented “Play and music can have both energizing and relaxation effects. Combining music and play offers effective mood enhancement, as well as opportunities for fun – which we know is more important now than ever as kids become Finders of Creative Opportunities to combat the challenges of spending more time at home.
Music-related activities and apps, such as the LEGO® VIDIYO™ app, also present kids with the opportunity to be self-directed in how they express their creativity by integrating the experiences of improvisation, learning, performance, and connection with others, via the act of sharing their productions.”
Fun-loving musician, HRVY, radio DJ Roman Kemp and music icon Sophie Ellis-Bextor have teamed up with The LEGO Group to support the FOCO generation, with its #VIDIYOVibes campaign, encouraging play, creativity, and self-expression amongst UK kids. #VIDIYOVibes launches following the research commissioned by The LEGO Group[3] highlighting that children in today’s society are seeking out more ways to express their creativity as a result of spending more time at home.
HRVY, whose track with Matoma ‘Good Vibes’ is available on the app, has already been creating and sharing his own #VIDIYOVibes with his followers to spread positivity.
He commented: “I’ve always found that music – whether it's singing, dancing or song-writing – is the perfect outlet for me to express myself and it works wonders for my mental health. I can definitely relate with those over the past year who've been fighting the FOMO by expressing themselves through creativity and music. Shout out all the Finders Of Creative Opportunities!
“I’ve had so much fun getting creative with LEGO VIDIYO and making a LEGO version of my track, I'm all about the 'good vibes' so I hope this inspires you guys to get involved in spreading 100,000 moments of FOCO by creating their own #VIDIYOVibes too!”
The new, free to download LEGO® VIDIYO™ app is packed with chart-topping songs from leading artists, including Mabel, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, and Jonas Brothers, and allows users to experiment creatively with music video production. A mix of new minifigure characters, called BandMates, can be customised and brought to life in combination with special effect BeatBits and music from established musicians that children can mash up to create and share unique and playful music videos. All wrapped in a safe universe that offers endless combinations and flows fluidly between physical and digital play.
The free LEGO VIDIYO app is available to download here: https://apps.lego.com/vidiyo-device/
TOP 10 FOCO ACTIVITIES
The creative activities boosting kids’ wellbeing:
- Baking
- Cooking
- Taking part in quizzes
- Playing on apps
- Painting
- Playing board games or cards
- Exercising e.g. skipping
- Giving makeovers e.g. painting my mum’s nails
- Crafts e.g. making jewellery, tie-dye art
- Filming and sharing videos
--ENDS—
For more information please contact lego@mischiefpr.com
Notes to Editors
Interviews are available with HRVY, Roman Kemp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dr Victoria Williamson, and the LEGO VIDIYO app Development Team.
About LEGO® VIDIYO™
LEGO® VIDIYO™ is a playful and innovative music video maker experience supported by a series of BeatBoxes, Bandmates, BeatBits and augmented reality - designed to celebrate and expand children’s creativity through play and music.
How LEGO® VIDIYO™ Works
Download the app - The LEGO VIDIYO app works with and without the physical VIDIYO parts – a free demo rotation of minifigures, songs and BeatBits is provided as part of the app experience.
Select a song - From the wide array of regularly updated tracks across all sorts of music genres – powered by Universal Music Group.
Scan your BeatBits and minifigures – You can load in all of your characters so that you can create a band of three and two stage performers using the different characters you have obtained. Once scanned, select your characters and customise their appearance, band name and ‘album covers’.
Time to create! Choose your characters for the 60-second performance and your line-up of BeatBits, which are each colour coded: Black for visual effects, Pink for costumes, Aqua for sound effects, Orange for comedic effects, Yellow for dance moves and Green to change scenery and background. Then scan your stage, whether it’s your bedroom, backyard or a brick-built model - in just three seconds, your location is scanned and production countdown starts.
Share your creation – Selecting the best 5, 10 or 20 seconds of the performance, you can now upload and share your masterpiece with other young creators to the app feed, once passed moderation. Any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for app feed upload, but can be stored locally in-app, to be enjoyed in-person with friends or family members.
Push your music video making skills – Take part in challenges that task you with using specific effects or making creations inspired by seasonal moments and cultural happenings! Challenges help push your creative skills and unlock special customisation elements – like new costumes. See productions from other creators and discover new music with the VIDIYO app social feed.
Fans can live the VIDIYO lifestyle through a capsule collection of apparel inspired by L.L.A.M.A and produced by Bravado, UMG’s industry-leading merchandise company.
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO® bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.
The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. However, its products are now sold in more than 140 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
