Mindful Media: Balancing Screen Time and Real Life

How can we use social media in ways that strengthen our connections and protect our well-being?

Mastery Objective

• Students will be able to identify positive and negative aspects of social media and develop a “game plan” to engage with social media positively and safely.

Day 1 - Students will:

• Listen to “Can You Turn Off Your Cell Phone?” by BTS
• Explore the purpose and the need for humans to connect
• Recognize social media’s role in human connection

Day 2 - Students will:

• Listen to “On Social Media” by Pet Shop Boys
• Define disinformation and misinformation
• Consider how false, misleading, or idealized social media content impacts them

Day 3 - Students will:

• Listen to “jealousy, jealousy” by Olivia Rodrigo
• Recognize the negative impact social media can have on mental health
• Interpret how misinformation and false images contribute to mental health problems

Day 4 - Students will:

• Listen to “Digital Sea” by Thrice
• Consider strategies for alleviating the negative impacts of social media
• Create a plan for engaging with social media in positive, safe ways

Arts-Based Activity - Students will:

• Reflect on their social media use, their thoughts and feelings, and the plan they created
• Write a villanelle poem that encapsulates their reflections and ideas

In this lesson, students will discuss how social media can enhance or inhibit connection with others. They will consider how they use social media (if they use it at all), and will understand how things like false information, idealized images, and overuse may be affecting them mentally, emotionally, physically, and in their relationships. After reflecting on their own experiences, students will consider some guidelines for healthy engagement, then create a plan for social media use that emphasizes safety and positivity.

Required for all lessons:

• Student Journals
• Art Supplies

Day 4:

• Handout - My Social Media Game Plan

Arts-Based Activity:

• Handout - Villanelle Poem