LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read and identify appropriate and inappropriate uses of social media; describe how social media use can affect your life and others’ lives

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 2: Evaluate the impact of technology on personal, family, and community health

CASEL COMPETENCY: Responsible decision-making

KEY VOCAB

etiquette, upstander, belaboring

Lesson Plan: Um . . . Should I Post That?

Many teens consider themselves social media experts. But how much do you know about how to act online in awkward situations? Take our quiz to find out!

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can I care for myself and others while using social media?

 CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS

  1. What is “credit flexing”, and why is it important? “Credit flexing” refers to the practice of giving credit to the creator of a piece of digital content, such as a meme or image, when sharing it. It is important because it honors the creativity of the person who made the content. 
  2. How can you politely tune out aggressive classmates who comment too much on your feed? You can use the “restrict” feature on Instagram to choose which comments are visible on your feed. 
  3. What are some clues that you might be about to make a post that does not represent the real you? Give two clues from the article. Possible answers: You are using a filter; you are cropping the picture; you are belaboring the caption

 CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

  1. How long do you wait before posting something publicly? What do you consider beforehand? Answers will vary. 
  2. Have you ever felt annoyed by another person’s post on social media? Explain the type of post and why it annoyed you. Answers will vary. 
  3. Can you think of other forms of social media etiquette not mentioned in the article? Suggest at least one other way to care for yourself or others online. Possible answers: Ask a friend’s permission before tagging them in a post; ask others’ permission before you “check in” somewhere; don’t post too many Instagram stories in one day; be tolerant even when others don’t follow the rules the same way you do.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

WATCH, READ, AND TAKE ACTION NHES 2

NHES 2

CASEL Competency: Relationship skillsesponsible decision-making

Social media has a profound impact on our society. Have students watch the trailer for The Upstanders, and discuss how social media has changed the way people interact. Then have them read “10 Ways to Be an Upstander” from bullybust.org and commit to one upstander action step: DON’T STAND BY, STAND UP! (Click here to see all your Skill Builders.)

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

NHES 2

CASEL Competency: Responsible decision-making

Many young people consider themselves experts at curating their social media image but aren’t quite as familiar with online etiquette in awkward situations. For this activity, have students create an infographic to spread awareness about how young people can TAKE CARE of themselves and others online. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders.)

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