Save Reality: A Project to Prevent Knife Crime
An interactive webapp where students pledge not to carry knives, visualised as a growing network graph of interconnected promises.
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I worked on this project called Save Reality, and it’s super close to my heart. Living in Nottingham, you can’t help but notice the impact of knife crime on young people. It’s not just something you read about; it affects families and the whole community. I really wanted to contribute something positive, to raise awareness and actually make a difference.
That’s where Save Reality comes in.
What’s the Big Idea?
Save Reality is all about giving young people the tools to make good choices and build strong, safe connections. It’s about shifting the focus from fear to strength, from feeling alone to being part of a community, and from reacting to problems to getting ahead of them.
As the project’s Treasurer (and helping out wherever I could), I quickly saw that teaching people and getting them involved was key. But just talking about it wasn’t going to cut it. We needed something interactive, something that would get young people excited and participating.
The Webapp: Pledges That Actually Matter
The webapp idea came from a simple thought: change starts with one person, but it spreads through their friends and networks. So we created an online space where students can promise not to carry a knife. And it’s not just an empty promise; it’s a real step towards stopping the cycle of violence.
Here’s the cool part: every promise shows up on a network graph, like a living picture of change. As more students join in, you can see the web growing, a great reminder that they’re not the only ones choosing a better path. It turns individual promises into something bigger.
Building for Change
The webapp is more than just a tool; it’s a chance to use tech to solve a real problem. It teaches about why knife crime happens, how friends can influence you, and how serious the consequences can be. It lets you publicly say no to violence, and shows you that others are doing the same, helping you see how strong positive connections can be in fighting off negative influences.
Working on this app made me think beyond just the technical stuff. I wanted to make it easy to use, fun, and impactful: something that not only teaches but gets people to take action.
Why This Matters
Save Reality isn’t just about knife crime. It’s about the worries, pressures, and choices that lead to it. Fear is often what keeps young people stuck in this cycle: fear of being vulnerable, of not fitting in, or of not being able to protect themselves. By giving them a place where they can take a stand and see others doing the same, we can start to break down that fear.
Knife crime is a community problem, so the solution has to come from the community too. Save Reality is my way of helping out, reminding young people that they have choices, that their voices matter, and that their connections can help create a future based on strength, not violence.