High School curriculum on social media and mental wellbeing: combating the negative effects through education and application

Over the past ten years, there has been a significant rise of depression and suicide rates in adolescents. These rates coincide almost exactly with the rise in smartphone use and the development of social media. Evidence of multiple studies over the last twenty years suggests that social media plays a significant role in influencing these high depressive and subsequent suicide rates. Social networking sites are constantly evolving and progressively infiltrating the lives of youth, and yet school curriculums have not evolved to keep up with the changing conditions that adolescents encounter on a daily basis. Studies show that most teens use social media networks on a daily or even hourly basis. However, there are limited resources available to teach youth any form of coping, safety, or appropriate online behavior. This curriculum was created because of the lack of resources available to youth and is based on the information and research included in this review. The review outlines the need for education in the following areas mental health and depression, concentration and sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, pornography, predators, online privacy, and suicide.

ABSTRACT Over the past ten years, there has been a significant rise of depression and suicide rates in adolescents. These rates coincide almost exactly with the rise in smartphone use and the development of social media. Evidence of multiple studies over the last twenty years suggests that social media plays a significant role in influencing these high depressive and subsequent suicide rates. Social networking sites are constantly evolving and progressively infiltrating the lives of youth, and yet school curriculums have not evolved to keep up with the changing conditions that adolescents encounter on a daily basis. Studies show that most teens use social media networks on a daily or even hourly basis. However, there are limited resources available to teach youth any form of coping, safety, or appropriate online behavior. This curriculum was created because of the lack of resources available to youth and is based on the information and research included in this review. The review outlines the need for education in the following areas mental health and depression, concentration and sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, pornography, predators, online privacy, and suicide. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii INTRODUCTION 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 8 INTRO TO CURRICULUM 20 SUMMARY OF LESSONS 22 GENERAL LESSON GUIDELINES 23 LESSON 1: FULFILLMENT & ADDICTION 24 LESSON 2: MENTAL HEALTH 31 LESSON 3: CYBERBULLYING 40 LESSON 4: SLEEP DEPRIVATION & CONCENTRATION 48 LESSON 5: PREDATORS & PRIVACY 56 LESSON 6: SEXTING & PORNOGRAPHY 67 LESSON 7: SUICIDE 74 REFERENCES 81 iii INTRODUCTION I don’t even remember how I came across it, but it was a story I could not turn away from. I would occasionally read the news and especially when I found a sensational or tragic headline that caught my attention. A Utah high school student, who showed none of the typical signs of a suicidal teen, had committed suicide. The article focused on the shock factor of this event since Tevan had been an honors student, came from a good family, and had a bright future ahead of him, someone who seemed a lot like me. When police looked deeper into the case, what they found surprised them. Hundreds of messages from someone posing as a woman, who then requested an explicit video of Tevan. When Tevan sent the video, the perpetrator then demanded that Tevan send sums of money, or they would publish the video. From bank records it was clear, Tevan sent everything that he had. When he ran out of money? The predator began to harass Tevan. Relentlessly. Sometimes sending hate messages as frequent as every 30 seconds. In some messages the predator urged Tevan to kill himself. Ultimately, Tevan ended his life. The whole ordeal happened in a matter of weeks and his parents had no idea until police began to investigate the cause of death days later. The harasser was traced to a number from some remote area in the Ivory Coast in Africa. I share this story not to suggest the hopelessness of the world or the terrible things that happen, though there is a need to acknowledge that this story is nothing short of horrendous. I share this because it was Tevan’s story that influenced me to question the media and resources we are so readily given to use on a daily basis. After reading Tevan’s story I felt compelled to speak with my parents. I knew terrible events like this occurred, but this was local to a teenager who showed no signs of the trauma he was dealing with. The real tragedy of this story was not just that he was contacted and tricked by a predator, but that no one knew until it was too late. Tevan did not feel comfortable reaching out to anyone in his life for help. I urged my parents to talk to my siblings in high school about Tevan’s story. I asked them to explain the dangers that exist on social media and to let my siblings know that if they were in any type of similar situation, that they could talk to my parents. Years later for my degree in Communication, I took a class titled, “Principles of Visual Communication.” We studied the way that humans interact using visual things such as ads, graphic design, photographs, and of course, social media. The week we studied social media turned out to be my favorite. The class was discussion-based and as I listened to those around me, I was struck that we all had similar experiences in a generation growing up with lots of new forms of social media. Facebook was created in 2004, but it didn’t seem to gain traction for me until much later. Facebook became popular when I was in fifth and sixth grade. Some parents allowed their kids to have an account; others were likely unaware of what it was or if it mattered if their kid had it; and others prevented their children from having it because we were all under the age limit to have an account, which was 13. I fell into the middle category. I had good parents who were very involved in my life, but not the most tech savvy. They were hardly aware of what Facebook was, let alone if there was an age limit. Regardless, I watched my friends get Facebook pages but waited until I was 13 to get one. We posted all of the most embarrassing and cringe-worthy content you would expect from young, insecure teens with new Facebook accounts. Posts to show places you’d traveled, or friends you hung out with, or new items you got. (Because let’s be honest, 2 how would people know you were cool if you didn’t post pictures of who you hung out with?) Posts to get attention with vague statements like, “if only people knew the real me,” and “Currently at the hospital,” or what we considered at the time a “model shot,” which we all hastily deleted as we got into high school. As young teens, we always seemed to be waiting for those comments to pour in like, “why? What happened?” or “OMG you’re GORGEOUS.” And let’s not forget trends like posting, “truth is….” and then responding to each like you received by posting the “truth” about how you felt about that person. Instagram emerged several years later, in 2010, but it began to be considered essential during my ninth-grade year. I remember, at the influence of my friends, I got an Instagram account halfway through my sophomore year in high school. Different than Facebook, Instagram was focused solely on the images, allowing for only short captions and tools called filters to edit your photo to look better. What began as poor photos with grainy filters and 20 hashtags at the end to generate more likes, began to evolve to flawless photos with short captions and a pressure to have a picture-perfect life. Snapchat, too, was a popular social media of choice. Created in 2011, that is the social media I recall using the most in junior high. What an anomaly that we could send a photo to anyone and determine the amount of viewing time without any trace or record of what was sent. Now surely there are obvious dangers that parents and professionals could immediately see by allowing a bunch of teenagers that type of power and privacy, but as good kids, we just thought of it as a fun way to communicate. TikTok was launched in 2016. By then I cared less about social media and only created an account when I had to for a college class in 2020. TikTok began to grow in 3 popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic since everyone was in quarantine, though it remains more popular among youth than adults or college students. I had the unique experience of growing up during the emergence of social media platforms. I have seen the evolution of the same platforms over time and the emergence of new ones. What began to press on my mind from that class was that social media are not only a way of sharing your life, but also a way to portray your life in a way that you choose. It has very little to do with the everyday events of your life or catching up with friends and everything to do with sharing an idealized version of your life, big events, or following business or news pages. Some may argue that simple representation is too general and that many people do in fact communicate with loved ones and enjoy their experience on social media however, I think there is a small percentage that maintains this positive, active usage of social media. And that has been proven to be the very problem. Social media has become much less social and much more of a form of representation whether for a business or your life. All of the negative effects of social media have to do with how it is used. Those who are active users have been found to have a more positive and healthy experience than those who are passive users. I have found in my life, times when I wanted to delete all social media because it was so much of a time waster. Or times when I purged through the list of people I was following and unfollowed them because a hundred or so of those people were not people I was close to or their posts didn’t add anything to better my life or make me feel good. I have had times I refused to get on social media for a few days because everything seemed too political, hypocritical, and unkind. Social media has proved frustrating and discouraging at times. Occasionally used for messages of hate, the vanity of the rich and 4 famous, influencers with seemingly perfect lives, perfect skin, and perfect bodies, political strife, ads for things we mentioned in earlier conversation, a lack of understanding for anyone that has a contrary point of view from their own, , and even people we know and love but that make us feel bad or inadequate, or just straight up annoyed, (we all have that one relative, right?) with their posts. We must face that there exists a dark side to social media and that can cause some long-lasting negative effects. However, we must also acknowledge the good it can generate. I have found times when I love social media. I’ve seen campaigns to raise money for a friends’ premature baby born under two pounds, GoFundMe’s raising thousands of dollars for family members of people that were lost too early in life. I’ve seen social media bring together people of faith around the world for prayers during the COVID-19 global pandemic. I’ve used social media to keep up with my four older siblings that live out of state. I’ve been amazed at the good that can happen and what it can be used for; sharing information and news faster than ever before, connection with friends and family that live far away, raising awareness of social injustices that we maybe wouldn’t be aware of in our small and culturally isolated communities, businesses and marketing, good news movements, connecting people of similar stories and backgrounds that under normal circumstances would not have met because of geographic barriers, uplifting stories of humans helping humans, housing opportunities, and let’s not forget the memes. Social Media cannot and should not be considered all bad. As our world progresses, we continue to use it more and more. (Anyone remember back when social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram didn’t have any ads?) Social Media has been used to improve business, find housing, connect with loved ones, find support, read 5 the news, shop, play games, date, or raise awareness. There is too much good, and too many essential aspects to demand that we delete all social media and avoid its use altogether. As I’ve reflected, talked, listened, and studied, the difference between those who enjoy their social media use and those who don’t, is in the way they use it. I decided something needed to be done. Social Media from its earliest forms has existed for over twenty years now. While the platforms are constantly updating and changing, the research exists to teach and train and warn our youth of the dangers that are present and we owe it to our youth to give them an education of the mediums they’re using every day. Instead, we hear of the rise of mental health crises and teen suicide rates and we wonder why. We have all the research to tell us that social media impacts teen mental health- and there are so many aspects of that. Beyond depression and anxiety and general mental health, there are other facets that are all interconnected, sexting and pornography, online predators, privacy, exploitation, cyberbullying, sleep deprivation, concentration, body image, misinformation, and suicide, all things that our youth struggle to deal with without any formal training or education. There is not one educational resource that includes all of these facets and subsequent coping mechanisms in one place. That goal was to give high school students, the ones shown to be most active on social media and subsequently most affected by the negative impacts of social media, the education needed to use the media now considered essential. Through all of this, there was a line in the article about Tevan Tobler’s suicide that stuck with me. “The Toblers would like to see more education about the dangers of phone apps and social media taught in the high schools and middle schools. They say they are surprised by the number of people who hear their story and say they had no clue 6 that those types of predators exist. " While Tevan's tragic death cannot be solely attributed to the evils of social media, a little education may have saved his life. We have the research. We know that social media negatively affects mental health. We have seen the rates of depression and suicide rising over the last decade. We know that while not the sole cause, social media contributes to those rates. And yet we continue to give our kids phones where they make and use social media accounts without any education. How many cases of severe teen depression and teen suicide are we going to hear of before we decide to make changes? People may even understand the need for these changes, but no one is doing anything about it. This is why I felt so strongly about the need for this curriculum. This is why I wrote over 80 pages over the course of six months and did hours of research over the course of nine months. This is why I spent my days after school and work reading difficult scientific journals about suicide and pornography and online predators. All of the effort I poured into this project is because I think this is our greatest opportunity to improve the lives of teens everywhere. There are so many things out of our control and so many things we can't change, but this is one thing we can change. We can educate our teens on the harms of social media and its negative impacts. We can teach them coping mechanisms to deal with posts that are triggering or uncomfortable. We can teach them best practices in their own social media use. With this education, maybe there will be less stories like Tevan’s out there. 7 LITERATURE REVIEW MENTAL HEALTH & DEPRESSION This section of the literature review focuses on the effects of social media use on the mental health of adolescents and possible solutions and coping mechanisms to be taught in the high school health curriculum. Researcher Best and colleagues, synthesized the research of 43 relevant and original studies on social media and its effects on the mental health of adolescents published between January 2003 and April 2013. Researchers found benefits such as increased self-esteem, increased opportunities for self-discovery and self disclosure, increased perception of social support, and increased social connections. However, these studies also revealed multiple harms of social media use including cyberbullying, depression, increased exposure to harmful material, and social isolation. Best concludes based on these studies that further information will be needed as technologies develop to prove that they are appropriately designed to the best interests of young people. While there are certainly benefits, the harms found are quite extreme in comparison. In a survey by Liu yi Lin and others of social media use and depression in 2016, 1,787 adults between the ages of 19-32 were asked to self report the amount of time they had spent on social media per day, the amount of visits per week, and the level of depression they felt. Their depression was measured based on the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression Scale Short Form. The 2016 study found that those who reported the highest social media use also had significantly higher symptoms of depression when compared to those who reported lower 8 use. The results were consistent with other studies in showing a clear association between social media use and depression. This study built on others but focused on a broader spectrum of social media sites instead of just one social network in particular and used a larger, more nationally representative group of young adults. In one of the largest and most longitudinal studies, 3,826 adolescents were measured over a four-year period to assess the connection between social media use, screen time, and depression in 2019. This study by Boers and others has been instrumental to other research as it was the first of its kind to test adolescents over a long period of time and also find an association between depression and four types of screen time: social media, television, video games, and computer. It was found that an increase in social media use resulted in a significant increase in depression symptoms. It was found that just an hour increase of social media per day was associated with a significant increase in the severity of their depression symptoms over the span of four years. The most important finding was that increased social media use led to lower self-esteem over time. This supports the study’s social comparison theory, that youth who are constantly bombarded with idealized images of others’ lives have a tendency to compare themselves and feel subsequently bad about their own lives, lowering their self-esteem. Many trends of poor mental health were found increasing since the early 2010s. These upward trends were found to be congruent with the emergence of technology and specifically the introduction of smartphones in 2007. Social networking sites were unlikely the only cause of this uptick in mental health issues, since not every country where social media has been introduced has had the same upward trends. However, researchers argue that the congruence of these rates would strongly suggest a connection. 9 The research supports that social media is certainly a factor of depression and anxiety, if not the primary cause. One of the most cited experts in the field, Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, performed a study of over half a million adolescents in 2017 of eighth through 12th graders. She found that the number of adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent over a five year period. During that same the suicide rate for girls increased by 65%. The increase in suicide rates appeared for males, but was significantly higher for females. Higher use of social media was shown to contribute to higher levels of depressive symptoms and higher risk of suicide than those who spent less time on social media sites. In addition, youth that used social media sites daily were 13% more likely to have depressive symptoms than their counterpart who did not. The results of this study supported all of the previously mentioned research that social media has a significant influence on the mental health of adolescents and that it subsequently often impacted suicidal tendencies. In a study done in 2020, Facebook users who deactivated their Facebook accounts for four weeks reported lower symptoms of depression and anxiety and higher feelings of happiness and wellbeing. After understanding that social media use indeed impacts the mental health of adolescents, it may certainly be reasonable to ask, why? What is it about the way that teenagers use social media or about their cognitive makeup that provides such a perfect storm for depressive symptoms? In other studies around mood management, the results show that adults tend to select media that will augment their positive moods and decrease their negative moods. This is not the case, however, with adolescents. Research by Jane 10 D. Brown and others titled, “Sad Kids, Sad Media? Applying Mood Management Theory to Depressed Adolescents' Use of Media,” studied adolescents with and without mood disorders, (such as depression and anxiety,) and measured their moods before, during, and after media consumption. Brown found that users who felt sad or experienced depression symptoms often sought out more negative or sad content when compared to others who were not experiencing sadness or symptoms of depression. This study included all forms of media and was not limited to just social media content, however, its findings are relevant. It’s findings proved that while adults often used media to improve their mood, adolescents consistently did not.The study also found that adolescents who encountered more negative moods did not use media to improve their mood. The findings of this study proved that youth were more likely to use media when feeling less positive and those who did turn to media typically chose media, (movies, social media content, etc.) congruent with their mood at the time. Those who felt negatively often chose more negative media, while those who felt positively were more inclined to use positive or fun media. This trend was true for adolescents with and without depression, males and females. In other words, adolescents did not use media to improve their moods, but to enhance the mood they were already experiencing, whether good or bad. Another trend found females were more susceptible to feeling negative immediately after, whereas males did not. An increase in screen time and specifically social media could also affect users differently depending on what they encounter and in the way that they choose to use the platform. For instance, those who encounter or seek out triggering, abusive, or disturbing 11 content have more negative mental health side effects in comparison to the users who use social media in beneficial ways, such as social interaction or support groups. Something important to take into account is that those who struggle with mood disorders such as depression typically have trouble regulating their mood. Many mood disorders cause prolonged sad or hopeless feelings thus making it less likely that these individuals would desire to use social media or other factors to improve their mood. Their response to social media may differ from the average adolescent who does not suffer from depression. Another important aspect, research notes, is that adolescents, because of incomplete cognitive and emotional development, may not follow the same patterns as adults when using social media and are more susceptible to developing mood disorders. Mental health problems are usually developed and found during this stage of adolescence and according to a study titled, Puberty and depression: the roles of age, pubertal status and pubertal timing, depression in adolescence was 25% more prevalent than in prepubescent individuals. This could be due to many factors, since adolescents typically experience a wide range of emotions and hormones due to changes in puberty, attitudes of independence and rebellion, and ongoing cognitive development. Because of this, it may prove more difficult for teenagers to regulate their moods and they may use media in some destructive ways. And in almost every study researched, it was noted that girls not only have higher depression rates than boys but also that girls differed in their media use. 12 CONCENTRATION & SLEEP DEPRIVATION This section focuses on the effect phone use, (typically connected with social media use,) has on our sleep and ability to concentrate. Studies show a decline in concentration and attention span that has occurred in adolescents over the last decadedirectly correlated with the time frame of social media In a study done at the University of Texas at Austin by Adrian F. Ward and others, a group of college students took a test whilst their phone was located in the same room. Another group of students took the same test whilst their phone was in a different room. Neither group used their phones throughout the test or were able to see it, yet the students with their phones in a separate room had significantly higher test scores than the students who did not. This study suggests that the mere proximity of phones is distracting to the brain on a subconscious level. This suggests that phones affect cognitive function whether the participant realizes it or not. This principle could be very vital to understanding the way that social media use impacts users and specifically teen or adolescent users. Whether consciously using social networks or not, because phones have become such an integral part of our day to day life, their presence decreases our cognitive function and attention span. Young kids and teens are also more likely to be distracted than adults, according to an article by Rachel Ehmke in the Child Mind Institute. Adolescents tend to be more impulsive and may be more inclined to interrupt their activity to check a notification or refresh their feed one last time. Many studies suggest that the use of social media and the rise of smartphones have influenced shorter attention spans and concentration in youth today. 13 Research titled, “Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children,” by Caitlyn Fuller and others found that 60% of teenagers used their phone in the last hour before bed, and got significantly less quality sleep than those who did not use their phone before bed. Additionally, some studies found associations with obesity and nightly screen time before bed. As screen time for adolescents is increasing, it’s important that they understand that their patterns of behavior are affecting multiple aspects of their physical and mental well-being including decreased concentration and lower quality of sleep. Once those patterns are acknowledged, it becomes easier to address them effectively by teaching healthy phone habits and self-regulation. CYBERBULLYING Cyberbullying is defined as: “When a child or adolescent is intentionally and repeatedly targeted by another child or teen in the form of threats or harassments or humiliated or embarrassed by means of cellular phones or Internet technologies such as e-mail, texting, social networking sites, or instant messaging.” -Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective by David D. Luxton and others. Cyberbullying through social media consistently causes an increase in depression in adolescents shown in multiple studies from the last ten years. In a study by “Prevalence and Effect of Cyberbullying on Children and Young People” by Michele P. Hamm and others explains that social media has severely altered the way youth interact with each other. The way people converse on social media platforms proves very different and less inhibited than in face-to-face interactions. Each piece of research on 14 cyberbullying and mental health found that cyberbullying was a large contributor to an increase of depression over time. While all adolescents who are victims of cyberbullying suffer from the effects, according to a study done by Mohammed Alhajji and team, and multiple additional studies, the number of those affected, males to females, is significantly disproportionate. Women are twice as likely to be victims of cyberbullying as males and as other studies showed, women are often more deeply affected with negative mental health symptoms as a result of their social media use. This could be due to the propensity women have to spread rumors and compare themselves to others. In a study by Michele Ybara of the Center for Innovative Public Health Research researchers found that youth with pre-existing depression symptoms had three times the likelihood of being victims of cyberbullying. It is important to note the influence cyberbullying can have to the point of encouraging self-harm and suicide. According to a study by Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin, cyberbullying, when discussed or linked to suicide, when discussed or linked to suicide, is titled, “cyberbullicide.” In a survey that involved around 200 middle school students, it was reported that victims of cyberbullying were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who were not. The researchers also found that perpetrators of cyberbullying were 1.5 times more likely to report having attempted suicide before. Cyberbullying, while not the only cause or always the primary cause of teen suicides, should be considered as a common factor in suicidal influence by causing feelings of self-doubt, loneliness, hopelessness, and amplifying preexisting stressors or insecurities. See more on suicide in the next section. 15 Cyberbullying that occurs on school property is within the school’s legal jurisdiction. But more commonly, cyberbullying occurs off campus. If the cyberbullying occurs off campus, school administration can still take legal action if they can prove that the occurrence of cyberbullying is affecting or interfering with their education process. SUICIDE In a 2012 study titled, “Suicide and Social Media from a Public Health Perspective,” researchers discovered information about suicide and suicide methods were quite accessible to the average internet user. Their findings proved that out of 371 websites pulled up in a search, 31% were neutral, 11% were prosuicide, and 29% were antisuicide. In another survey of the availability of information on suicide, Lucy Biddle and others searched 12 terms that were associated with suicide such as, “ways to kill yourself, suicide methods, how to kill yourself, etc.” Researchers noted that the words they searched were prosuicide. This may have skewed the results to be more prosuicide than if they had used terms like “help for suicide, suicide resources,” etc. The researchers then analyzed the top-10 results for each term. This culminated in an analysis of 240 web pages. It was found that approximately half of these initial results were prosuicide websites. These results provide a good picture of the type of information teens can find online as they research suicide. As teen suicide rates remain quite high for the youth of Utah, it’s important for parents and educators to know the types of resources that are available to adolescents — both beneficial and detrimental. 16 Research done in 2011 by Sally M. Dunlop and others explored the “media contagion effect,” or the effects that media via the internet or social media have on suicidal behavior and tendencies. They surveyed 719 people, aged 14-24. Of those people, 79% reported being exposed to suicide-related content from friends, family, and traditional news sources, while 59% reported their exposure happened through the internet. Social media can increase the risk for prosuicide behavior in multiple ways. As described previously, higher media use leads to higher depressive symptoms. Additionally, social media has provided a platform that makes it easy to engage in cyberbullying and cyberharassment. Both have been shown to contribute to depressive symptoms and risk for suicidal behavior. The act of cyberbullying, when directly linked to suicide, is called “cyberbullicide.” In a survey conducted of over 2,000 middle school students, Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin found that victims of cyberbullying were twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who were not. While cyberbullying cannot be considered the only factor influencing suicidal behavior, it amplifies the risk and likelihood of suicidal behavior by increasing feelings of loneliness, isolation, self-doubt, and hopelessness for individuals who may already suffer psychologically or emotionally. Hinduja and Patchin also identified another danger: “cybersuicide pacts.” A suicide pact is when two or more individuals make an agreement or arrange to commit suicide together. With the rise of social media, individuals can now connect with complete strangers they would normally not be in contact with and create a cybersuicide pact. Because social media is designed to provide a place that is easy and comfortable to 17 express feelings freely, people find other individuals with similar feelings and share things that normally they may feel inhibited to talk about. What happens as a result is two people encourage each other to commit suicide rather than prevent it. Social media may also influence individuals who are already emotionally or psychologically compromised to finally carry out the act of suicide. These platforms, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others not only facilitate an environment for cyberbullying, but also for peer pressure and idealization of those who have committed suicide. As found in the study above, there are places on social media that have created prosuicide groups. These groups are extremely dangerous as they may encourage already vulnerable populations to participate in self-harm or suicide, ideas they may not have been exposed to otherwise. Teen suicides are not a new phenomenon. According to a biennial study by the CDC on suicidal ideation and high schoolers, there were 2,039 suicides in 2018 among U.S. adolescents ages 14 to 18. The CDC evaluated Utah’s suicide rates in 2007-2009 and in 2016-2018 and then compared the data. There was a 49.5% increase between those years. Utah’s rate was higher than the national average for that period, 47.1%. In addition, Utah exceeded the national average of suicide deaths among youth between 10 and 24 years old. The rate was at least 15% between 2016-2018, compared to the national average of 10.3%. Within the U.S. the leading cause of death for youth age 14-18 is accidents, (unintentional injury like in a car crash,) followed by suicide. In the state of Utah, however, the leading cause of death for youth of the same age group is suicide. In 2008, 220 people in Japan attempted suicide by hydrgoen sulfide gas and 208 died. Because of the nature of the method used, many family members died in the process 18 of trying to save loved ones. This tragedy was largely blamed on message boards discussions on the internet explaining how to create the lethal gas and shows the influence of suicidal information spread through different forms of social media. While these and other studies have proved the sometimes deadly influence of social media, it is important to acknowledge the support that they also offer. Social media used for suicide prevention can connect people with similar feelings and experiences, offering support and also increasing awareness of the resources available such as hotlines, educational tools, and support groups. For example, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Facebook page has more than 459,000 fans as of 2020. This site, along with many other smaller suicide awareness and prevention groups, provides resources and information for those who may be struggling as well as tips in identifying typical signs. As discussed previously, suicidal tendencies and their symptoms are often influenced by the feelings of depression created or heightened by social media use. It can therefore be presumed that social media use, whether directly or indirectly, can affect teen suicides. 19 INTRO TO CURRICULUM I have created a curriculum on social media and its effects on teens in a variety of areas. It is to be used specifically for grades 9-12. While there are a few existing programs of media literacy available for elementary school kids, there are no existing resources or educational materials for high school students. A few specific programs exist for issues like pornography or suicide, however, there isn’t one resource that is entirely comprehensive of these issues in regards to social media. There are several approaches to media literacy—such as directing children to delete apps—, but research shows that it’s not productive to approach the topic from an anti-media perspective. While fully exploring the harms and negative aspects of social media with their subsequent long-term impacts, the curriculum itself is media positive. The world we live in revolves around the media we share and consume and it would not be practical to simply suggest that students shouldn’t use media in any of its forms. Instead, this curriculum offers information to educate the next generation of high school students about the pros and cons of media usage and coping mechanisms to create healthy habits for long- term success. This is a problem because research shows that the negative effects of social media on mental health are most prevalent among high school students. The curriculum here is created with that age group in mind. It is written with this mature audience in mind and deals with heavy topics not suitable for elementary or junior high age kids. These include cases of cyberbullying, suicide, eating disorders, and mental health disorders. All of the information contributing to the lessons that I created is based on hard research on the impact of social media on adolescents in a variety of forms. 20 Lesson plans were created on the following topics: Social Media and Addiction, Social Media and Mental Health, Cyberbullying, Sleep Deprivation and Concentration, Privacy and Online Predators, Sexting and Pornography, Social Media and Suicide. Because of the nature of these lessons and the overall health benefits, this curriculum would be best implemented in general health classes. These comprehensive lessons are designed to be implemented as written in the classroom. Each lesson plan includes all materials needed for an effective class session and is a complete plan for the lecture and discussion, including assignment sheets, videos, graphics, discussion prompts and suggestions, group projects, and of course all of the research and resources available in that area. However, additional materials to increase the effectiveness or reinforce the lessons may be added at the discretion of the teacher. 21 LESSON SUMMARIES: Lesson 1: Lesson one educates teens on the addictive behaviors social media can cause and how it influences our lives. Students learn that media can be good or bad depending on how it’s used and what happens in the brain when we use social media. Students will record their media use and reflect on how it makes them feel. Lesson 2: Lesson two educates teens on the common detrimental effects social media can have on the mental health of adolescents. Students will be taught to recognize the negative effects on their mental health and to be aware of how social media makes them feel. They will be taught coping mechanisms and best practices for dealing with media that doesn’t make them feel good, and how to share positive media themselves. Lesson 3: Lesson three educates teens on the importance of kindness in their online interactions and the harmful impact of cyberbullying. Students will be taught to recognize cyberbullying in their own actions or the actions of others, respond to different levels of cyberbullying, and report cyberbullying when necessary. Lesson 4: Lesson four educates students that social media use often affects the ability to concentrate and sleep well. Students will be taught how social media use is negatively affecting both the quality and the duration of sleep. Students will be taught best practices for improving their sleep and concentration based on their social media use. Lesson 5: Lesson five educates teens on the danger of online predators and the importance of guarding their privacy. Students will learn to identify when online profiles and communications are dangerous. Students will learn tactics to guard their privacy on different social media platforms and how to report anything suspicious. Students will become familiar with the terms “grooming,” “phishing,” and “online predators.” Lesson 6: Lesson six educates students of the harmful effects sexual and pornographic content, often found on social media, especially on the teenage mind. They are taught to recognize when some images may be inappropriate and what steps to take to report the images they find. Students are also trained best practices of what type of images are appropriate to share and what types are not. Students will become familiar with the terms, “sexting,” “pornography,” and “sending nudes.” Lesson 7: Lesson seven educates teens on the most serious effect of social media use, suicide. This lesson focuses on suicide as it relates to social media and was written based on research for suicide prevention. Students will learn to recognize signs of suicidal posts and what to do when they see those types of posts. Students also learn where to get help if they are feeling suicidal and appropriate ways to share that on social media. While not explicit, this lesson does follow the story of a teenage suicide that was influenced by 22 messages on social media. With high teen suicide rates in Utah, this lesson is especially essential. LESSON PLAN GENERAL GUIDELINES Each lesson includes materials for the instructor as well as students. The subheadings, below, explain more fully how instructors can use the information to prepare for a lesson and educate their students about social media. LESSON PREP: This is listed at the top of each lesson plan and includes any materials, resources, or work that needs to be done before the lesson is taught. Most lessons have a companion assignment sheet that is attached below the lesson plan. It will need to be printed off before the lesson. In some cases, students should fill it out before the lesson so that the students’ answers can be discussed as part of the lesson. LECTURE: Found throughout each plan, the word “lecture” signifies the material that you will be teaching to the class. Of course, you may modify how the material is shared. For example, you might use the supplied information to create a PowerPoint , or maybe you just share the facts with your class. Either way, it’s material that should be discussed with the class. FOR THE TEACHER: This is the instruction for the teacher to use to guide the class in whatever activity or discussion is about to happen but is not to be read out loud. DISCUSSION: Since this is a heavily discussion-based curriculum, there will often be places that involve group conversations. This means that you involve the class by asking the prompts given in the lesson plan or coming up with your own as you see fit. It’s a time to review and discuss the lecture or assignment. The discussion can be as long or as short as you wish, depending on the students’ needs and the amount of allotted time. VIDEO: Occasionally, videos were found to supplement the curriculum or help explain specific concepts. Each video will be shared through YouTube.com with the link to the video, along with a brief description of the video, any warnings, and the length. Each video was thoroughly watched to be approved for these lessons. IMAGE: This signifies a particular image that can be used at that point in the lesson to help explain a particular topic or idea. Use these optional supplements as you see fit. However, images are beneficial to student learning and are highly recommended. The source of each image is linked so you can find the original or include attribution. ASSIGNMENT: This is to outline the assignment that will be given. The title and instructions for the students are provided. Assignment sheets will always be included at the bottom of the complete lesson plan. 23 EXAMPLE: Following a principle, examples are provided to help students understand real-world applications. LESSON 1: Fulfillment & Addiction and Social Media LESSON SUMMARY: Lesson one educates teens on the addictive behaviors social media can cause and how it influences our lives. Students learn that media can be good or bad depending on how it’s used and what happens in the brain when we use social media. Students will record their media use and reflect on how it makes them feel. LESSON PREP: (preparations to be done before the lesson is taught in class) This lesson is based on the previous assignment of having each student record their social media use: how much time, which app, and how they felt afterward. Students will understand symptoms of addiction and why our minds are so drawn to social media based on the psychology behind it. Students will define fulfillment and find where social media fits on that spectrum for them personally. Get enough index cards for each student to have one. DISCUSSION: Ask the class to reflect on their answers to their social media use worksheet. “FULFILLMENT & ADDICTION AND SOCIAL MEDIA, Assessing your Media Use Assignment” Possible questions: • • Did you use more time on social media than expected? Less time than expected? How did you feel after each use? Did you notice a pattern? FOR THE TEACHER: Ask the groups to share what they discussed. Questions to consider include: • • • Which app was most commonly used? Were you surprised by the amount of time spent on social media? How did that make you feel? One of the questions specifically focused on fulfillment, did you feel more fulfilled from your social media use? Make a chart on the chalkboard or whiteboard to illustrate usage, patterns or themes based on their answers. Possible examples shown here: 24 25 DISCUSSION: Ask the class: • What makes you feel fulfilled, and why? Possible answers could be going on a hike, playing outside, spending time with friends and family, learning something new, mastering a new skill, etc. LECTURE: Define Fulfillment for the class. DEFINITION: Ful·fill·ment noun the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted. "winning the championship was the fulfillment of a childhood dream" LECTURE: Explain to the students that fulfillment does not come from temporary pleasures but often from things that leave a lasting sense of satisfaction. Ask yourselves when you use social media, and when you close out the app or lock your phone, do you feel more fulfilled than you did before? If the answer is no that doesn’t mean you have to delete your social media or that there’s something wrong with you. But, we can learn to use social media in ways that fulfill your life instead of draining your time and energy or making you feel bad about yourself. Because when you put in a little bit of effort and consciousness to alter the way you use social media instead of just being a passive user you’ll find that it changes the effects it has on you. Today’s goal is to improve and increase the fulfillment you’re getting from social media, and also educate you on how to use them effectively and safely. These lessons are not anti-media. The purpose of these lessons is not to influence you to delete your social media accounts. That said, it starts with understanding how social media affects teens. When we use social media, we get positive reinforcement. Think of it as your job chart or potty-training chart when you were little. You did your chores or used the toilet and your parents rewarded you with a sticker or fruit snacks or some type of positive prize. This positive gift or reaction then reinforces the good behavior, teaching you that “when I do ______ behavior, I get _______reward.” 26 IMAGE: LECTURE: Ask students • • • How many of you had some sort of reward system like that? What reward did you receive? Do you remember how it made you feel? This process is called positive reinforcement. Your parents didn’t invent it. It’s been a method used for years and something humans naturally respond to. When we use social media, this same process occurs of receiving positive reinforcement through -likes -new posts and content -messages/DMs -comments Each of these things send a zing of dopamine to our brain, telling us that what we’re doing makes us feel good. The interesting thing is that studies show that our brain’s response to social media is actually quite similar to our brain’s response to addictive behaviors like gambling and drugs. 27 VIDEO: Gambling and Free Will- B.F. Skinner Length: 3:53 Description: Renowned scientist, B.F. Skinner explains conditioning first with pigeons, and then as it relates to us as humans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ansbcjN6Q LECTURE: Just as this scientist could train the pigeons to want more because of positive reinforcement, social media experts create the platforms in a way to make our brains want more social media. More notifications! More new posts! More updates! There is always something new, and that’s what keeps our brain interested, and keeps us involved on their platforms. However, what we’re finding is while social media is becoming more and more popular, we tend to spend more and more time on social media, but when the results are reported, we aren’t necessarily happier using social media. It doesn’t make us feel fulfilled. Social media has, unfortunately, become much less social over the last few years. So let’s talk about ways that we can feel more fulfilled from the media we’re using, whether Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, VSCO or whatever. FOR TEACHER: Pass out index cards to the class. ACTIVITY: Have the students write on one side of the card things they do want to see on social media and on the other, things they don’t want to see on social media. Here’s an example of a list they might make: EXAMPLE: Things I do want to see on social media: -my friends and family -cute dogs -news -patagonia -school pages (for the dance team, or football team or other school groups) -sports highlights DISCUSSION: Start with this side first and then ask the students to share some things that they wrote down and make a list on the board. Everyone’s list will look different and that’s okay! It’s not about what other people like or dislike or what’s popular. This is about you and your fulfillment. What do you want to be seeing on your social media every day? FOR TEACHER: Then have students work on the other list. Ask them what types of things they don’t want to see on social media. Write their answers on the board. 28 LECTURE: Again, people’s answers will differ. Someone may say they don’t want to see sports videos while someone else in class may love sports videos and ESPN highlights. It doesn’t matter, what matters is that you find your priorities on social media content in terms of what you want to see versus what you don’t. EXAMPLE: Things I don’t want to see on social media: -political posts -annoying influencers -people that make me feel bad about myself -businesses -celebrities After the students have made their lists and they’ve discussed what they’ve written down, explain what they do with the lists they’ve created. LECTURE: The main difference between those who feel good about their media use and those who do not is the way that they use it. Are you actively involved in the content you’re looking through? Or just passively scrolling? Hopefully this list gives you a better idea of the types of things you actually care about and care about seeing on a day to day basis. Now the important thing is to use this list as a guide to your media use. Go through your feed and find anything that doesn’t fit in your list of things you want to see and get rid of it! Just as we choose what types of foods we put in our body to make us feel good, we choose what type of media we consume that makes us feel good. Use this as a chance to curate your feed. Go through your feed and eliminate anything that you don’t need to follow or that doesn’t make you feel good. Use your new list as your guide. Then put this list somewhere that you’ll see it often. 29 FULFILLMENT & ADDICTION AND SOCIAL MEDIA Assessing your Media Use Assignment For the next 24 hours, record all of your media use, and how much time you spend on each app. Then answer the questions below. What social media accounts do you have? Which do you use most regularly? What is your goal for your social media? Or in other words, why do you use it?(i.e. For connection with family and friends, to learn about deals with your favorite businesses, for news, etc.) 1 paragraph, 5-7 sentences For the next 24 hours, record your social media use. Write down any time you open a social media platform for any reason, then record how much time you spent on the app here: (Example: Instagram- 1 hour) 30 LESSON 2: Mental Health & Social Media LESSON SUMMARY: Lesson two educates teens on the detrimental effect social media can have on the mental health of adolescents. Students will be taught to recognize the negative effects on their mental health and to be aware of how social media makes them feel. They will be taught coping mechanisms and best practices for dealing with media that doesn’t make them feel good, and how to share positive media themselves. LESSON PREP: (preparations to be done before the lesson is taught in class) Give students the worksheet, “Mental Health and Social Media Media Deprivation Assignment,” attached below in at least two days in advance to this lesson so they have the time to complete it. The students will spend 24 hours without social media and answer the questions on the worksheet. VIDEO: Introducing The First iPhone | Steve Jobs Best Keynote | Macworld 2007 Length: 1:47 - Important: Start at 1:40 Description: Steve Jobs gives a speech introducing a new device that includes an ipod, an internet device, and a phone all together in one. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTu95rhjeF4 https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causingdepression/#:~:text=In%20several%20recent%20studies%2C%20teenage,who%20spent %20the%20least%20time LECTURE: Think of how this device turned our world upside down! This was only 14 years ago and yet now we can not imagine our society without them. However, things developed so quickly, that new apps were constantly being released, each trying to outdo the last in design, popularity, and efficiency. They weren’t created with the best interests of people in mind and least of all teens. You as teens are at an interesting point because of the stage of development your brains are at. Things affect your minds differently than fully developed adult minds. That’s not a bad thing! It just means that social media has been found to have more repercussions on the adolescent mind. Because of this, these companies were so eager to make money that they didn’t consider the long-term mental health effects their platforms might have on you. VIDEO: Ian Malcolm gives Hammond an Ethics Lecture Length: 1:44 Description: Clip from Jurassic Park, where the creator describes what he’s been able to do in bringing dinosaurs to life and a man who specializes in ethics declares, “You were so excited that you could that you didn’t take the time to think whether you should!” Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PLvdmifDSk LECTURE: As we mentioned last time, while people are spending more and more time on social media, studies show that people are not feeling better about their lives, or more connected than before. 31 Instead, here’s what we’re finding. “Smartphones were introduced in 2007, and by 2015 fully 92 percent of teens and young adults owned a smartphone. The rise in depressive symptoms correlates with smartphone adoption during that period, even when matched year by year, observes the study’s lead author, San Diego State University Psychologist, Jean Twenge. IMAGE: A team of researchers reviewed studies on social media and teen mental health from the last decade or so and found over 43 relevant studies- this is what they found: • All of the 43 studies showed that those who used social media had an increase in the harms of cyberbullying, depression, increased exposure to harmful material, and social isolation. The researchers explained that after their review they found that further information will be needed as technologies develop to prove that they 32 are appropriately designed to the best interests of young people. While there are certainly benefits, the harms found are quite extreme in comparison. IMAGE: https://medvisit.io/how-social-media-affects-mental-health/ One researcher did a study of over half a million adolescents, 8th graders to 12th graders over five years! It found that of those who already had depressive symptoms that used social media over that five year period, there was a 33% increase of depressive symptoms. Within that same group of people, the suicide rate for girls jumped up 65%. It also increased for boys within that category but not as significantly. Ultimately the study found that those teens that used media daily were 13% more likely to have depressive symptoms than those that did not. IMAGE: 33 https://www.riseservices.org/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health/ In summary, those who use social media more frequently have higher symptoms of depression. Adolescents also had a tendency to seek out more depressing content on social media than adults. One study took a look at the media that we seek out for ourselves. For instance, if we were sad, would we look for sad media? If we were happy would we look for happier media? It studied both youth and adults and its findings are important for us to understand. Here’s a summary: • • • • • Teens who already had depressive symptoms- tend to seek out more negative content. It’s important to understand that often for those who feel depressed, a common symptom is not wanting to improve or change their mood because depression means that you have trouble regulating your mood. It’s likely that that’s why those with depression didn’t seek out positive media generally. Teens seek out media that fits their mood- positive media for a positive mood, negative media for a negative mood. Teens did not use media to improve their mood, but used media to enhance the feelings they were already experiencing. Girls typically felt poorly or negatively after they were done using media whereas boys did not. Adults are better at self-regulating their mood and not letting their mood affect what they seek out as much, probably because their brains are further developed. These findings are super important for you guys to understand! Because teens, (you guys,) are experiencing growth and developmental changes at this time of life, it is much, much harder for you to self-regulate your mood, and you likely use media in destructive ways for your mental health. Here’s an example of the “Vicious Cycle of Unhealthy Media Use.” 34 IMAGE: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm# Now that we understand that, let’s go over our assignment, and discuss ways to have a healthy relationship with social media.” ASSIGNMENT: Go over the assignment students completed previous to this lesson, “MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA: Media Deprivation Assignment,” attached below. DISCUSSION: Possible questions to ask the class: (These questions can also be written on the board and you can write answers from kids in the class to better understand and analyze what happens when we deprive ourselves of social media. See examples below) • • • • • How many of you lasted the entire time? Why? How many of you didn’t last the entire 24 hours? Why not? What was the hardest part about it? What was the easiest part about it? Did you notice any patterns as to how you feel? We only limited our media use for 24 hours, but they said to see really notable changes in our mental health- we should limit media for at least a week. How many of you would be interested in limiting your media in some form for more long-term effects?” 35 LECTURE: “So what can we do? Social media has become an integral part of life. What can we do to take steps to having a positive social media experience and even more importantly, mental wellness? find the problem. You can’t fix what’s affecting your mental health if you don’t know the issue. Do you find yourself comparing your worst moments to peoples’ best Instagram worthy moments? Do you find yourself looking for other negative content when you feel bad? Find the patterns of what you do that makes you feel bad. We’ve broken it down into a few different steps. 1- Monitor screen time- obviously, if something you’re using makes you feel bad, the more you use it, the more it can affect you. There are a lot of apps created to monitor the amount of screen time and help you to be more intentional about your media use. Most phones have time monitoring built into the settings. Here’s how to use it for both Android and Apple users: For Android users: 1. Open Settings. 2. Tap Digital Wellbeing & parental controls. 3. Tap the three-dot menu on the top right and select Manage your data. 4. Toggle on Daily device usage. (The circle graph on the Digital Wellbeing screen shows which apps you’ve been using. Inside the circle, you can see your total screen time, and underneath that, how many times you’ve unlocked and how many notifications you’ve received.) 5. Your smartphone will now log app usage, notifications, and device unlocks. To set app time limits follow the steps below: 1. Tap Dashboard. You’ll see a list of the apps you use most frequently. 2. Tap an app to view screen time, notifications, and times opened on a daily or hourly clip. Tap the hourglass icon next to an app to set a timer. 3. Set a time limit (all timers reset at midnight) and tap OK. To remove a timer, tap the garbage can icon next to it. 36 IMAGE: For Iphone users: 1.Go to Settings > Screen Time. 2.Tap Turn On Screen Time. 3.Tap Continue. 4.Select This is My [device] or This is My Child's [device]. After you turn on Screen Time, you'll see a report showing how you use your device, apps, and websites. If it's your child's device, you can set up Screen Time and create settings on their device or you can use Family Sharing to configure your child’s device from your device. App Limits: You can set daily limits for app categories with App Limits. For example, you might want to see productivity apps while you're at work, but not social networking or games. App Limits refresh every day at midnight, and you can delete them any time. 2- Take breaks. It’s not so much about not using social media at all, but using it in a healthy way. Instead of using it for hours at a time, take intentional breaks where you don’t even look at notifications. 3- Be deliberate about connections and how you use the social media platform. Are you getting on just to browse and then getting distracted? Are you just aimlessly looking through others’ seemingly perfect lives? Are you trying to find posts that amplify your lonely, sad, angry, or suicidal feelings? Remind yourself what you got on there to do, whether that was to quickly catch up on some stories, connect with a specific person, or post something of your own. 37 4- Curate your feed. Just as we create diets that fit what our body needs, we can curate our feeds to what our minds or spirits need. If you find that there’s someone you follow that doesn’t make you feel good, or is always posting inappropriate content, go ahead and give them a mute or unfollow. Your mental health and well being is way more important than keeping around someone you’re barely friends with in real life. 5- Limit where and when you use it. While social media can be fun, it can also make you feel isolated or bad when you use it at the wrong times and places. When you’re with family or friends, connect with those family and friends and save social media for another time. Remember social media was created to be “social.” 38 MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA Media Deprivation Assignment For the next 24 hours, give up social media in all of its forms. Then answer the questions given below about your experience. When beginning the 24 hours without social media use, how do you feel? Upon completion of the 24 hour challenge, how do you feel? Did you last all 24 hours? Why or why not? Did you enjoy the time without social media? Why or why not? What can you learn from this experiment? (paragraph response 5-7 sentences) 39 LESSON 3: Cyberbullying and Social Media LESSON SUMMARY: Lesson 3 educates teens on the importance of kindness in their online interactions and the harmful impact of cyberbullying. Students will be taught to recognize cyberbullying in their own actions or the actions of others, respond to different levels of cyberbullying, and report cyberbullying when necessary. LESSON PREP: Print out the assignment, “CYBERBULLYING AND SOCIAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT IDENTIFYING CYBERBULLYING ONLINE WORKSHEET,” found below. DEFINITION: According to researchers in 2012, Cyberbullying is, “When a child or adolescent is intentionally and repeatedly targeted by another child or teen in the form of threats or harassments or humiliated or embarrassed by means of cellular phones or Internet technologies such as e-mail, texting, social networking sites, or instant messaging.” -Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective by David D. Luxton and others. FOR TEACHER: Using the following chart, created by Genesis Center Now, explain the differences between cyberbullying and bullying and why cyberbullying can be so difficult to deal with. LECTURE: This is a chart to show a little bit of why cyberbullying is so much harder to deal with than normal bullying. While bullying is all publicly done and can be avoided, cyberbullying is relentless. It can be happening no matter where you are, and it’s harder for others to be aware of what is going on unless they’re told. 40 IMAGE: http://www.genesiscenternow.com/cyber-bullying.html First it’s important to understand the facts. Here are some things you should know regarding cyberbullying. FOR TEACHER: The following facts can be shared in a PowerPoint, written on the board, or presented in the lecture according to your preference. LECTURE: A study by Michele Ybara with the Center for Innovative Public Health Research found that people with pre-existing depression symptoms had three times the likelihood of being victims of cyberbullying. Women are twice as likely to be victims of cyberbullying as males and as we’ve learned in previous lectures, women are often more deeply affected with negative mental health symptoms as a result of their social media use. Suicide, whether caused directly or indirectly by cyberbullying, is titled, “cyberbullicide.” In a survey that involved around 200 middle school students, it was reported that victims of cyberbullying were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who were not. the same study showed that perpetrators of cyberbullying were 1.5 times more likely to report having attempted suicide before. LECTURE: In order to prevent cyberbullying and its negative effects, we need to understand two things: what cyberbullying is, and how to respond when it happens. 41 Let’s start with the different forms of cyberbullying. They vary from minimal embarrassment or discomfort to extreme harassment. Oftentimes we think of cyberbullying in the most extreme forms and we don’t understand that there is a whole range of cyberbullying that we have probably all been a part of at one point or another in our lives. Generally people don’t want to hurt others or be unkind, but we don’t always recognize that sometimes the things we say or react to on social media could be considered cyberbullying. So here are four different levels of cyberbullying. FOR TEACHER: The following information of the different levels of cyberbullying could also be shared either through lecture, on the board, or in a Power Point or presentation. IMAGE: https://www.avast.com/c-cyberbullying LECTURE: Low: These online interactions are generally unkind or insensitive, but relatively low risk. They likely will not leave long-term effects and are often done in a teasing nature. Most people have participated in one of the following interactions, not knowing it could be considered cyberbullying. • A video on a private story of someone in class doing something funny or embarrassing o Example: video of a girl in class with the caption, “Can you believe what this girl is wearing?!” • A Snapchat of someone else who doesn’t know they’re being filmed and could be found humiliating or harmful to that person’s reputation o Example: a girl is adjusting her bra in gym class and someone snapchats her adjustment thinking it’s funny. 42 • • Screenshotting or sharing private messages with someone on a private story or in texts, DMs, (direct messages,) or Snapchat, with the intention to embarrass or hurt them. o Example: John texts Mark asking if he thinks Alyssa is “hot” and eggs him on to say some things about Alyssa which Mark later screenshots and sends to Alyssa and her friends. A group chat created to make fun of or gossip about someone else. o Example: everyone gets annoyed by a certain boy who doesn’t have great social skills. They create a group chat to send messages of all of the allegedly stupid or awkward things that he says. Sharing embarrassing or personal information or footage of someone else is sometimes known as “outing.” Even if you think it’s on a “private story” and no one will find out, screenshotting and screen recording have made access to any information you put online very easy. Just be aware of what you’re sharing. DISCUSSION: While it’s important to be aware of what cyberbullying is and know the different forms it can take, it’s more important to understand how to deal with cyberbullying when it happens. So let’s talk about possible responses. FOR TEACHER: (You might want to put the PowerPoint slide or information on low level cyberbullying back up on the board for how to cope with each section.) Ask the students these questions to get the conversation going. They can respond to any of the scenarios/examples in the low level. You might offer some suggestions if they miss anything. • • How might you respond if you were a bystander who witnessed this type of bullying? How would you respond if you were the victim of these actions? LECTURE: The best thing to do when it’s something relatively small is to ignore it. If it really bothers you, nicely, but directly confront the person who committed the offence and express how you didn’t appreciate it. Medium: These are online interactions that are unkind and hurtful, but not necessarily targeted at one person. • A rude or sarcastic comment on a post. o Example: a group of girls post fun pictures of themselves posing together. In some of the images their arms are upraised and one girl has small sweat marks. A boy from their grade comments “swarmpits” on each photo. • An unkind comment or reaction to a story o Example: a girl posts an image of a meal she’s made and another girl comments on her story, “Wow that looks like a lot of food for one person to eat!” 43 DISCUSSION: Once again, ask students if their responses would differ in these situations, ((within the medium level scenarios) • • How might you respond if you were a bystander who witnessed this type of bullying? How would you respond if you were the victim of these actions? LECTURE: For comments that are offensive or maybe just obnoxious, you can always delete the comment made or report it. That’s a pretty low key way to solve the problem the first time. If you feel the need, you can kindly, but directly confront the person who committed the offence and express how you didn’t appreciate it. Remember that comments that people make generally have little to do with you and a lot to do with the offender and their mindset and issues. High: These actions are specifically intended to be harmful toward a specific person or group and can have much more serious effects. • Posts with unkind comments toward a specific person or group o Example: a guy posts a photo of the theater kids going to play practice with the caption, “Theater nerds at play practice again.” • A post where someone has tagged another person in the post to embarrass or harm them o Example: cheer tryouts are going on at the high school and one girl posts a picture of her friend who has also auditioned for cheer. The comment reads, “She’s a pro — suck it.” That girl tags each of the other girls who are auditioning for cheer. DISCUSSION: Once again, ask students if their responses would differ in these situations. (within the high level scenarios) • • “How might you respond if you were a bystander who witnessed this type of bullying? How would you respond if you were the victim of these actions?” LECTURE: When the comments seem very specifically derogatory towards you there’s good reason to handle the situation directly. Extreme: Extremely harmful online interactions that target and harass, embarrass, or hurt someone else. These actions have much more serious repercussions than the previous three levels and should be reported to a trusted adult, leader, and in some situations, the police. • Texts to someone from someone you know or an anonymous number or someone saying harmful or harassing things. o Example: A girl receives a text from a random number that says, “You’re the duff of ur friend group, you know that right?” (DUFF as in Dumb Ugly Fat Friend) 44 • • • Hateful comments on posts o Example: comments on someone else’s post like, “Nobody likes you.” “You shouldn’t even come to school.” Fake accounts created to troll another account or mess with someone else. o Example: a boy creates a fake account and uses that account to comment, “gay,” on every post of a specific boy’s account. Threatening messages or comments to a specific person including blackmail o Example: a girl receives a DM from an unknown account that says, “If you even try to sign up for dance company auditions, I will make ur life miserable. Watch ur back.” DISCUSSION: Once again, ask students if their responses would differ in these situations. (within the extreme level scenarios) • • How might you respond if you were a bystander who witnessed this type of bullying? How would you respond if you were the victim of these actions? VIDEO: “Words Hurt” cyberbully short film Length: 5:28 Trigger Warning: At the very end, a girl fills her hand with pills as if to commit suicide, then the screen goes black. Description: Depiction of a girl posting different images while getting negative comments and reactions. The girl reacts to the comments and tries to change to appease them throughout the video until finally she grabs a handful of pills. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9D2PFD7nTI ASSIGNMENT: After identifying and coming to understand cyberbullying in its multiple forms, ask students to fill out “CYBERBULLYING AND SOCIAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT IDENTIFYING CYBERBULLYING ONLINE WORKSHEET,” found below. 45 CYBERBULLYING AND SOCIAL MEDIA ASSIGNMENT “Identifying and Responding to Cyberbullying” Read the following scenarios. Identify the level and form of cyberbullying that has occurred. Then write down the response that should be taken when faced with that scenario. 1. Braden is a boy whom every girl in the school has been “into” at some point. He is handsome, smart, charismatic, and nice to everyone. The only problem is that he seems to flirt with everyone. Sydney gets fed up and decides to record a conversation with him where she leads him to say things about the other girls. She then sends the audio to all the other girls he mentioned, including you, to prove he’s not interested in them. What do you do? 2. Back when you and Brian were dating, he asked you to send him some nudes. You figured he was your boyfriend and no one else would find out so you sent him a couple. However, a few months later you had a messy fight and broke up. Now he texts you and says you should transfer $100 to his Venmo account or he’ll tell everyone, including your parents, about the photos he has of you. What do you do? 3. You’ve worked like crazy to make the varsity soccer team at your high school. The other guys on the team are older than you and you already feel a little out of place when someone posts a picture of a smaller group of players from the team with the comment, “The REAL Varsity team” #screwfreshmenandsophomores. What do you do? 4. Someone you don’t know starts following you on social media. At first it didn’t bother you because you have lots of followers you don’t know.But now they 46 comment on your posts relentlessly, saying things like “Fugly” and “Hoe.” You try to block the account, but it always seems to come back. What do you do? 5. You’ve struggled with depression for the last year. Your parents have been on the brink of divorce and things at home are hard. Finally, you feel like you have something going for you. Track. You’ve always been a good athlete and this year you are expected to be the top runner on the team. Then, suddenly, a new kid, Jake, moves in. He was a track star at his old school and runs in your same category. He’s quite good, too. You’re frustrated and jealous of the new star on the team and decide to constantly post about how annoying he is. First you find ways to send Snapchats of Jake when he’s training and a sweaty, tired mess. You always send his story to other members of the team with messages like, “Would you believe this try-hard?” But over time you began to comment relentlessly on his posts with things like, “weak” or “lol nice one.” A friend points out to you that what you’re saying may be hurting Jake’s feelings and could be considered cyberbullying. You feel bad. You never meant to let it get this far. What do you do? 6. Your friend, Leah, shows you an Instagram private story from another girl, Serena, in your grade. The video is of you during choir class and captioned with, “Nice outfit lol.” You’re sure that Serena never intended for you to see it, which is why it was on her private story. But you’re still hurt and wondering who else has seen the video. You don’t even know Serena that well. What do you do? 47 LESSON 4: Sleep Deprivation & Concentration SUMMARY: Lesson four educates students that social media use often affects the ability to concentrate and sleep well. Students will be taught how social media use is negatively affecting both the quality and the duration of sleep. Students will be taught best practices for improving their sleep and concentration based on their social media use. LESSON PREP: (preparations to be done before the lesson is taught in class) print assignment sheet for “SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND CONCENTRATION ASSIGNMENT.” ACTIVITY: Write the different apps on the white board, then for the next half hour, have students record every notification they receive on their phone during that period by writing a tally mark on the board under the app the notification came from. Optional: You could even allow students to turn the sound on their phones- which while making for a distracting class, would also prove a strong point and be kind of fun for students. See example below. EXAMPLE: DISCUSSION: Using the notification chart as an example, ask students and discuss the following questions. 48 Look how many marks there are! • • • • • How many of you were surprised? Were there more notifications than you thought? What can we learn from this exercise? What does it mean for us as students, employees, teachers, parents, and people that we are constantly getting these constant notifications? (Especially after our previous lesson on social media and addiction.) How can we deal with this constant distraction? IMAGE: https://www.acetutoring.com/blogs/2020/9/17/battling-against-student-attention-span-inonline-learning LECTURE: Studies show us that the attention span of the average human has decreased over the last decade. What was once 12 seconds, has now diminished to 8 seconds, which is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. It is interesting to point out that this attention span decrease happened right with the development of phones, the accessible internet, and social media. 49 IMAGE: https://muckrack.com/blog/2020/07/14/how-declining-attention-spans-impact-yoursocial-media According to other research, adolescents, unlike adults, tend to be more impulsive and more likely to stop what they’re doing to check a notification or refresh their feed. And another study found that having such an abundance of input available to us, narrows our attention span. In a study done by the University of Texas at Austin, they had two groups of students take a test. The first group had their phones with them. The second group did not have their phones with them. Neither group could see their phones or use them and yet the second group tested significantly higher on the test than the first group with their phones in the room. This study proved an interesting point that because we use our phones so much, the mere presence of them has become distracting to our brains. Whether consciously or not, having our phones with us affects our cognitive ability. All of this tells us the importance of putting down our phones and taking breaks from social media in order to improve our concentration. 50 IMAGE: Another negative aspect of social media and phone use is the way it can affect our sleep. DISCUSSION: Ask the class the following questions. • • • How many of you use your phone right before bed? How many of you use your phone IN bed? How many of you have trouble sleeping at night or waking up in the morning? 51 IMAGE: LECTURE: You guys are at an age where sleep is really critical. Studies tell us that phone use right before bed influences the quality and duration of our sleep. One study found that 60% of teenagers used their phones in the last hour before bed and got significantly less sleep than those who did not use their phones before bed. In addition, there were associations found with phone use before bed and obesity. 52 IMAGE: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50140111 So there aren't many solutions to helping improve concentration and prevent sleep deprivation, but the few that exist work. And they’re really simple. 1- Don’t use your phone when you’re trying to focus on something or get something done. Put it in another room. Put it on do not disturb. Put it out of sight. Each of these things has been proven to increase concentration and attention span. 2- Don’t use your phone in the last half hour- hour before bed. You’ll get more sleep, feel better, (look better haha), have better memory, and do better in school as a result. FOR TEACHER: To finish up, give the students the “SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND CONCENTRATION TRACKING EXPERIMENT” found below. Explain part I and part II using the descriptions listed on the assignment. 53 SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND CONCENTRATION TRACKING EXPERIMENT PART I: Over the course of the next week, following the guidance of the research we’ve gone over in class, put your phone away and don’t use it in the last half hour before going to sleep. This means no using your phone in bed, no last minute Instagram scrolling, and no Netflix binging. Then answer the following questions to record your results and what you learned from this exercise. 1. Was this a hard exercise? Why or why not? 2. Did you complete the exercise for all seven days? Why or why not? 3. Did you notice a difference in your sleep/quality of sleep? (were you able to fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, longer?) 4. What can you learn from this exercise? Is there anything you want to do differently in your media habits? 54 PART II: Pick an entire school day where you limit the times when you use your phone: including during classes, during homework time, or any other period where you would want undistracted, focused time. In these specific times where you would need to concentrate, don’t just turn your phone over or set it aside, but turn it off until you’re done with the activity. After completing this challenge for a day, answer the questions below and reflect on what you learned. 1. Was this a hard exercise? Why or why not? 2. Did you complete the exercise in for an entire school day? Why or why not? 3. Did you find that you had better concentration and attention by putting your phone away? 4. What can you learn from this exercise? Is there anything you want to do differently in your media habits? 55 LESSON 5: Online Predators and Privacy SUMMARY: Lesson four educates teens on the danger of online predators and the importance of guarding their privacy. Students will learn to identify when online profiles and communications are dangerous. Students will learn tactics to guard their privacy on different social media platforms and how to report anything suspicious. Students will become familiar with the terms “grooming,” “phishing,” and “online predators.” LESSON PREP (preparations to be done before the lesson is taught in class): Give the class the assignment sheet titled, “PREDATORS, PRIVACY, & SOCIAL MEDIA: Finding Information Worksheet,” attached below. Explain that this assignment can be done individually or in a If done in a pair, one friend will fill out all of the information they can find on their friend’s account and vice versa. It may be a fun way for the students who are friends to investigate the information found on their friend’s social media. However, since some students may not want anyone in the class looking through their social media, the assignment may also be done individually - assessing their own social media instead. Print questionnaire found below. LECTURE: While the internet can be used for good, to form connections, and education, it can also be used to hurt and harm. Today we are going to discuss one of the significant harms with social media which has to do with predators and your privacy. We like to think that everyone uses social media the same way we do; to catch up with friends, see who went to prom with whom, follow our favorite businesses, keep up with family, or follow the lives of celebrities. Unfortunately, not everyone does use social media for those reasons. There are some people out there who use social media to find and harm other people and particularly youth. These people are called online predators. Predators use a tactic known as “grooming.” DEFINITION: Grooming: is where someone befriends a child online and builds up their trust with the intention of exploiting them and causing them harm. Harm caused by grooming can be sexual abuse, both in person and online, and exploitation to obtain sexually explicit images and videos of the child. IMAGE: 56 LECTURE: In order to better protect you all from online predators, today we are going to talk about common grooming tactics of online predators. Hopefully this will help you recognize it when you come across it! 1- Friendship Forming Stage: The predator will usually try to get to know you and gain your trust. Often started with a friendly message, the predator will try to learn anything they can about you, family life, school involvement, hobbies, etc. Many questions are asked and experiences are related to make you feel comfortable. They may also list a mutual friend to gain your trust and make you feel like you know them and you are “safe” talking to them. 2- Risk Assessment Stage: The predator attempts to learn enough information to determine how likely you are to report the predator to parents, guardians, or other adults. Basically, how likely they are to get caught. 3- Exclusivity Stage: At this stage the groomer will try to gain trust and mutual respect, to maintain secrecy. IMAGE: 4- Sexual Stage: The predator begins to test the waters of mentioning sexual content. This can go a variety of ways. If the predator’s goal is to build a loving and trusting relationship, the topic is approached gently and you will be coerced slowly. If the predator does not enter the topic gently and you seem to become uncomfortable, the predator will usually apologize profusely to get your forgiveness and the relationship often rebuilds stronger. 57 IMAGE: 5- Cybersexploitation Stage: In this final stage the goal of the predator is sexual gratification, or in other words, they seek some type of sexual experiencewhether through requesting nudes, sending explicit photos, requesting to meet up, or directly asking for sexual contact or intimacy in some form. IMAGE: FOR TEACHER: Pass out an anonymous questionnaire where people can answer the two following questions. Let the students know that you will be reading the answers out to the class- but anonymously. 58 • • Have you ever friended, followed, connected with someone on social media whom you didn’t know personally? Why or why not? Have you ever messaged someone on social media whom you didn’t know personally? Why or why not? FOR TEACHER: After giving some time for students to answer the questions, gather up their responses and read them to the class. Chart the answers on the board if you’d like. EXAMPLE: The point is to show the students that there are often people we communicate with online that we don’t know...and that that can be dangerous. Despite any motivation for talking to someone, it’s always better to limit connections to people you know. DISCUSSION: Discuss with students why communicating with strangers online is dangerous. Research shows there are three main reasons why communication with strangers can be so dangerous. 1- You can’t be sure who is on the other end. Even if the profile seems legitimate, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Creating a fake profile is all too easy for anyone who would 59 want to harm you. (We all know people that create “finstas.”) The point is, don’t connect with anyone you don’t know. FOR TEACHER: Finsta means a “fake instagram” IMAGE: VIDEO: Online Grooming Length: 3:22 Description: Shows the two sides of people messaging online. One is a young girl excited about a boy messaging her, the other is a predator, a much older man messaging this young girl trying to gain her trust. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUjwHPah72o 2- Even if the stranger who follows/friends you isn’t an online sexual predator, they now have access to lots of your private information. It’s never a good idea to give people more information about you than they need. Identity theft, data theft, and just general or financial information can often be compromised, leaving you in a vulnerable position. 60 IMAGE: VIDEO: The Office: Jim Impersonates Dwight Length: 1:18 Description: This clip from the office shares a funny example of identity theft. Jim impersonates his coworker Dwight until Dwight in frustration declares that “identity theft is not a joke!” Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaaANll8h18 DEFINITION: Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. 3- Social media was designed to connect you more with the people you know and love. What we’ve found through research is that we are spending more time on platforms and less time actually using it to be social or connect with those we care about. This has also been proven to negatively impact mental health. Basically, connecting with strangers or being an influencer doesn’t make you any happier. Whereas research shows us that connecting with people we know and love, does. 61 IMAGE: VIDEO: Amanda’s Story Length: 6:09 Description: Trigger Warning: This video shares the depiction of a personal account of a girl named Amanda who was groomed by an online predator and later kidnapped and raped before being found five hours later. There isn’t anything explicit and the video is made by an educational foundation. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE9dwAr7CUE ASSIGNMENT SHEET: Review the assignment sheet done previously titled, “PREDATORS, PRIVACY, & SOCIAL MEDIA: Finding Information Worksheet.” Optional: Chart the students’ responses on the board so that all the students can see how common it was to find certain information. Open it up to discussion. Go over each section charted on the board: private vs. public account, birthdate and age, house and hometown, school, and schedule. Remember, this chart is just for the numbers, of how many students had whatever number of posts in that category. 62 Possible questions for the class include: • • • What patterns can be found from our chart? What surprised students? Were you able to find less information than you thought? More information than you thought? Then ask the students, were you alarmed at the amount of information you could gather from your own/your friend’s social media as if you were a stranger? 63 PREDATORS, PRIVACY, & SOCIAL MEDIA Finding Information Worksheet Look at your own, (or a friend’s,) social media from an outsider’s point of view. If they knew nothing about you and found you on an online platform, what would they be able to learn from looking at your social media page? Use the following questions to answer what an outsider would be able to learn about you. 1. Is your account public or private? 2. Do you have any posts that indicate your birthday? If yes, indicate how many and a summary of what the post(s) contain. 3. Do you have any posts that indicate your city, your home, or address? If yes, indicate how many and a summary of what the post(s) contain. (Is there a picture of your house? Did you tag the location? Did you mention your city or town in the caption or is the city referenced in any of the photos?) 4. Do you have any posts that indicate your school? If yes, indicate how many and a summary of what the post(s) contain. 64 5. Do you have any posts that indicate your daily schedule? (for example when you’d be at work or at school or at soccer practice, etc.) If yes, indicate how many and a summary of what the post(s) contain. 6. Were you able to find more information than you thought? Does it concern you? Why? 7. What can you learn from this exercise? (paragraph answer 5-7 sentences) 65 QUESTIONNAIRE: Have you ever friended, followed, connected with someone on social media whom you didn’t know personally? Why or why not? Have you ever messaged someone on social media whom you didn’t know personally? Why or why not? 66 LESSON 6: Sexting, Pornography & Social Media LESSON SUMMARY: Lesson 5 educates students of the harmful effects sexual and pornographic content, often found on social media, can have on teens. They are taught to recognize when some images may be inappropriate and what steps to take to report the images they find. Students learn what type of images are appropriate to share and what types are not. LESSON PREP: No preparations for this particular lesson. LECTURE: Studies show that pornography can severely impact the brain and its functions, relationships and intimacy, and trafficking. Just as drugs are harmful in the way they affect the brain and cause addiction, researchers have found that pornography and nude images cause the same effects in the brain. Fight The New Drug is a great resource designed to help combat the issues caused by increased access to pornography. We’ll be doing an assignment with their resources later. First, we need to understand what the harms of pornography are. • • • • It increases the risk of depression. Studies have found that adolescents who consistently look at porn have higher rates of depression and report more feelings of loneliness and isolation. Studies also show that youth exposed to pornography have lower self-esteem. It raises the chances of teenage pregnancy. A study found that youth who frequently view sexual content on TV have a higher likelihood of teenage pregnancy. In addition, the chance of teen pregnancy was twice as high when the quantity of sexual content within the episode was high. It negatively affects sexual development. Since teens are in such a pivotal stage of life when they are learning about their own sexuality, viewing pornography as a teen can severely hinder their sexual development. Frequent pornography viewing can influence adolescents’ sexual beliefs and values. It creates false or distorted expectations of sex. Studies show that viewing pornography distorts sexual expectations and as a result, users find less enjoyment in physical intimacy. And Fight the New Drug sums up the problem well when it says, “Although porn consumption promises to help individuals relax and relieve their stress, a growing number of studies have found that porn consumption is actually linked to poor mental health outcomes. This link is particularly strong when porn consumers engage in a pattern of ‘self-concealment,’—which is when they do things they’re not proud of and keep them a secret from their friends and family members. This pattern not only hurts their relationships and leaves them feeling lonely, but also makes them more vulnerable to emotional and psychological problems. For both male and female porn consumers, 67 their habit is often accompanied by problems with anxiety, body-image issues, poor selfimage, relationship problems, insecurity, and depression.” - Fight The New Drug LECTURE: Now we understand why it’s bad and the influence pornography can have on you as teens. Exposure to pornography often comes through social media. DISCUSSION: Ask the class, either anonymously with their eyes closed or not anonymously, the following question: • By show of hands, how many of you have seen sexual or nude content on social media before? It might be good for students to see that they’re not alone and that most people have been exposed to porn. LECTURE: See how common it is? Most kids see pornography online by ages 9-11. And it can be a little jarring to see a picture pop up on your screen or on your feed. With frequent exposure to these types of images it’s important that we learn how to deal with it. When you see pornography or any image that makes you uncomfortable or doesn’t feel right, there are three main steps to take. 1- Turn it off. (whether that’s closing the app, or turning off the computer or closing the tab) Find any way to get that image off of your screen. 2- Tell someone about it. This may seem like a funny step, but studies show that when something bothers us, it stays on our minds for a long time after. Studies also show that talking to someone about what you saw and how you felt is a quick way to get it off of your mind. 3- Turn to an activity. Once you’ve gotten rid of the image and you’ve talked to someone about it, go find something to do so that you’re not dwelling on what you just saw. These three steps, simple as they are, are quick, easy solutions to forget the image that you encountered. Now that you know what to do when you encounter those images, it’s important that you don’t become part of the problem. So now we’re going to talk about what you can do to not perpetuate this culture of pornography and sexually explicit content. That starts with not sexting. DEFINITION: Sexting: the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone 68 Please, please, please don’t send nudes, and don’t ask for nudes. Beyond the facts we went over earlier, I’m going to share with you some other examples of why this is so dangerous. Because here’s the problem, since you guys are minors, there are serious consequences to sharing nudes of another person. EXAMPLE: Share the following examples from a research study, The Impact of Social Media on the Sexual and Social Wellness of Adolescents. “While the cost of risky online behavior is clearly high when it comes to social and sexual health, there are also potential legal ramifications. Laws originally created to protect children are being used to criminalize them as pornographers in many states.22 One disturbing illustration involves a 14-year-old girl who posted nude photos of herself on a SNS and was subsequently charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.23 Another example involves a teen who received unsolicited explicit photos of his girlfriend via text message and then mass-e-mailed the nude photos after their breakup to “get back at her.”24 This teen was subsequently convicted of transmitting child pornography and labeled a sex offender.24 While it seems right that some punishment should be incurred for such unwise and often hurtful decisions, few adolescents are aware that the act of simply hitting ‘send’ can cause serious ramifications.” Another example was reported by the Washington Post in this 2019 article. “The case began in October 2016, when the then-16-year-old, referred to by her initials in court records, shared a video she made with a three-person group text chain — another 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy — best friends, the court said, attending Maurice J. McDonough High. She expected the text would stay private. But the group “fell off as friends” a few months later, according to court records, and the students who received the text shared a copy with their school resource officer from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. The girl who shared the video of herself performing a sex act on an unidentified male was the only teen charged, according to the county prosecutor. Because her case on the distribution of child pornography was in juvenile court, the teen never faced a mandatory sentence or the possibility of having to register as a sex offender. Finally, this article from ALCU-WA, explained that in Washington, the law has recently changed so that youth aren’t punished so harshly with felonies at age 16 or 17. However, the punishment of a misdemeanor is still quite serious, and the law hasn’t changed in every state. You can read the following portion to the students, explain it in your own words, or put it up on the screen for the students to read. 69 “Most teens today communicate using smartphones and other connected devices. And, according to numerous studies, 20 percent of teens use their phones to share explicit images of themselves, usually someone they are dating. Yet in Washington, teens who engaged in “sexting” could be charged with distribution or possession of child pornography— class B felony offenses that carry the penalty of sex offender registration. Hit send, and be at risk for criminal prosecution, prison, loss of financial aid for college, and lifelong difficulties finding employment and housing. The Responsible Teen Communications Act, signed into law by Gov. Inslee on April 24, 2019, replaces harsh prosecution with evidence-based education and prevention. Under the new law, minors who possess, create, or view sexually explicit images of minors over the age of 12 are no longer prosecuted for child pornography crimes. Minors who share (but don’t sell) images of themselves are similarly exempted from child pornography laws. Minors are still held accountable, but for a misdemeanor that is not a sex offense. And Responsible Teen Communications doesn’t change existing Washington laws that provide ways to prosecute teenagers who engage in harmful behaviors like harassment, voyeurism, indecent exposure, and maliciously distributing intimate images of others.” According to a 2019 post written by FindLaw’s team of legal writers and editors, “The common quirk in the laws is that there is no exception for taking or distributing sexually explicit pictures of oneself. Thus, a high school student sending a racy selfie to a boyfriend or girlfriend could subject both themselves and the receiver to prosecution for child pornography. If the picture makes its way around other social circles through online or direct sharing, anyone who received or distributed the photo could also find themselves open to charges.” LECTURE: All of this is to say, it’s just safer not to take or send any nude images. By not sending nude images, you also save yourself from the risk of blackmail or cyberbullying based on the images. Okay, so we understand that we shouldn’t take or share pornography. But how do we report it when we encounter sexual content on social media? Let’s find out. ASSIGNMENT: Divide the class into groups and assign them each a social media account listed below. Tell them to research how to report sexual and or nude content on their platform and then demonstrate for the class how to report a post within that platform. Included below is a description of how to report nudity or inappropriate content for each platform, so that you as the teacher have the correct information in case students have trouble. Students can show the class how to do it using their own devices, making posters, or using the board when teaching the rest of the class. (most of the processes are pretty similar and straightforward so it shouldn’t take the kids too long). 70 Facebook: Click the photo you want to report. If the profile is locked and you can't view the full-sized photo, click Find Support or Report Photo. 1. Tap in the top right 2. Select Find support or report photo. 3. Select the option that best describes the issue and follow the on-screen instructions. Twitter: Navigate to the Tweet you’d like to report on twitter.com or from the Twitter for iOS or Android app. 1. Click or tap the icon. 2. Select Report Tweet. 3. Select It displays a sensitive image. 4. Next we’ll provide recommendations for additional actions you can take to improve your Twitter experience. TikTok: 1. Go to the video. 2. Tap Share. 3. Select Report and follow the instructions provided. Snapchat: To report a Snapchat account: Go to the contact you wish to report. Click their avatar in the top right corner. Select the three dots in the upper right corner. Tap Report. Continue through the next two prompts, selecting the reasons why you are reporting the Snapchat account. How to report a story or snap: 1. Open the Story you want to report. 2. Press and hold the Story, it will narrow in size and a flag option will appear on the bottom left corner. 3. Select the Flag icon. 4. Continue through the next two prompts, selecting the reasons why you are reporting the Story. Instagram: Tap (iPhone) or 1. Tap Report. (Android) above the post. 71 2. Follow the on-screen instructions. To report a profile: To restrict someone through Direct: 1. 2. 3. 4. Tap or in the top right of Feed. Tap the chat with the person you want to report. Tap the person's name at the top of your chat. Tap Report, then follow the on-screen instructions. DISCUSSION: Have each of the groups present what they found. Allow them time to discuss and ask questions. Then explain the next assignment. ASSIGNMENT: Pass out the assignment, “SEXTING AND PORNOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA: FIGHT THE NEW DRUG ARTICLE REFLECTION” Explain the assignment. Fight the New Drug is a great resource when it comes to research on the influence and infiltration of pornography on our society. The organization has multiple factual articles on their website. Find an article at this link that interests you, one that you think will teach you something new, and read it. https://fightthenewdrug.org/getthe-facts/ 72 SEXTING AND PORNOGRAPHY & SOCIAL MEDIA Fight the New Drug Reflection Fight The New Drug is a great resource when it comes to research on the influence and infiltration of pornography on our society. It has multiple factual articles on its website. Find an article at this link that interests you, one that you think will teach you something new, and read it. https://fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts/ 1. List the title and the link to your article here: 2. Now in one paragraph (5-7 sentences), explain what you learned from the article about pornography and reflect on it. 73 LESSON PLAN 7: Social Media & Suicide SUMMARY: Lesson seven focuses on the most serious effect of social media use, suicide. This lesson focuses on suicide as it relates to social media and was written based on research for suicide prevention. It teaches students to recognize signs of suicidal posts and what to do when they see those types of posts. It also teaches students where to get help if they are feeling suicidal and appropriate ways to share that on social media.While not explicit, this lesson does follow the story of a teenage suicide that was influenced by messages on social media. With high teen suicide rates in Utah, this lesson is especially essential. LESSON PREP: No previous actions are needed for this lesson. LECTURE: https://www.deseret.com/2019/4/2/20669914/uncovering-secret-that-led-to-son-s-suicide FOR THE TEACHER: Explain the article above either in your own words or using what’s written here. LECTURE: A Utah high school student, who showed none of the typical signs of a suicidal teen, committed suicide. The article focused on the shock factor of this event since Tevan had been an honors student, came from a good family, and had a bright future ahead of him, someone who seemed a lot like me. When police looked deeper into the case, what they found surprised them. Hundreds of messages from someone posing as a woman, who then requested an explicit video of Tevan. When Tevan sent the video, the perpetrator then demanded that Tevan send sums of money or they would publish the video. From bank records it was clear, Tevan sent everything that he had. When he ran out of money? The predator began to harass Tevan. Relentlessly. Sometimes sending hate messages as frequent as every 30 seconds. In some messages the predator urged Tevan to kill himself. Ultimately, Tevan ended his life. The whole ordeal happened in a matter of weeks and his parents had no idea until police began to investigate the cause of death days later. The harasser was traced to a number from some remote area in the Ivory Coast in Africa. The tragedy of this story is that it could have been prevented if only Tevan had felt comfortable talking to someone about it. Something Tevan’s parents said in the news article is really important. "The internet is capable of really good, and really bad," Peirce concurred. "It's important for the community to get educated on what's really going on- on the internet." 74 The Toblers would like to see more education about the dangers of phone apps and social media taught in the high schools and middle schools. They say they are surprised by the number of people who hear their story and say they had no clue that those types of predators exist.” Now obviously this story is unique. It goes along with our lessons on predators and privacy and sexting and pornography. However, they made a good point that the best suicide prevention is education. Today we’re going to talk about suicides as they relate to social media, understanding you’re not alone if you have been suicidal, and how to respond when you’re worried a friend or family member may be suicidal. DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY: The goal of the activity is for the students to understand that they are not alone and that lots of people have likely felt the same way they do! Tell the students that the following activity is anonymous, but that participation is required. Have students close their eyes or ask them to put their heads down. Then ask the group to respond to the following questions by raising their hand. Keep track of the answers on the board. • • • • • • • • • • How many of you have ever felt lonely? How many of you have ever felt like you don’t belong? How many of you have ever been in a hard situation where you didn’t see a way out or the next step forward? How many of you have lost a loved one? How many of you have ever felt hopeless? How many of you have ever been through a bad breakup or relationship? How many of you have ever felt like you were bad at school? How many of you have ever felt left out? How many of you have been hurt by someone you cared about? How many of you have ever wondered if what you do matters? After recording the numbers on the board, ask students to open their eyes and see how many people out of the total number of students raised their hands for each question. It’s important for you as the teacher to point out how common these feelings are! You might say something like: LECTURE: Look how many people have felt all of these things! Out of ___ number of people in the class, ____ number of people felt this way. Although I won’t ask this, based on statistics we know that there are likely people in this room who have felt suicidal before. Life can be really hard! But we aren’t alone. Imagine how much support we would feel if we knew that everyone else has or had felt that way before and gotten through it. What I want all of you to realize is that these feelings of loss and loneliness are so normal and that you are not alone in feeling this way. There is help and happiness ahead and we’re going to talk about some resources today. 75 Here’s the deal. We’re seeing a huge rise in teen suicide rates, especially here in Utah. The CDC conducts a biannual study on suicidal ideation and high schoolers. In this study the CDC evaluated Utah’s suicide rates in 2007-2009 and then again in 2016-2018 and then compared the two. They found a 49.5% increase between those years. Utah’s rate was higher than the national average for that period, 47.1%. In addition, Utah exceeded the national average of suicide deaths among youth between 10 and 24 years old. The rate was at least 15% between 2016-2018, compared to the national average of 10.3%. The interesting thing is these rates coincide with the rise of social media use. IMAGE: https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/cs565/sp2018/Live1_Depression&ScreenTime.pdf The reason we’re teaching this lesson on social media and suicide after we’ve already discussed lessons on Cyberbullying and Mental Health is that both of these are factors 76 that heavily influence suicidal ideation. Since we’ve already covered coping mechanisms for social media and its influence on mental health, along with strategies for avoiding and dealing with cyberbullying, today we’re just focusing on suicide. How do we learn the signs of someone who’s suicidal? Are there signs we can recognize in their interactions or posts on social media? How do we help ourselves or those around us? And most importantly, how do we report suicidal posts we find on social media? We’re going to cover all of those things. DISCUSSION: Ask the following questions. Optional: use a Kahoot (https://kahoot.com/) or Google Survey to ask students the following questions. • • How many of you know someone who has been suicidal? How many of you have seen a post where you worried about the person? FOR TEACHER: After looking at the number of hands and maybe recording the number on the board, ask the these follow up questions: • • • How many of you reached out to that person? How many of you thought about reaching out but didn’t? How many of you kept scrolling and that didn’t even cross your mind? Then ask the class: • Why or why not would you reach out to someone you were worried about on social media? Record their responses on the board. LECTURE: They’ve found what we just found in our discussion, that people usually don’t reach out because they aren’t comfortable, or they don’t know what to say. We want to teach you how to recognize the signs of suicidal people and how to respond, specifically within the realm of social media. What are the signs? -changes in eating or sleeping habits -saying phrases like, “I wish I’d never been born” or “Nothing I do matters” or “I wish I could die” -sudden change in behavior rebelliousness or recklessness -giving away possessions -sudden changes in personality -talking or writing about suicide, even when in jest -withdrawing from friends and family 77 FOR THE TEACHER: Then divide the class into groups and assign each group a social media platform. Have them find how to report a post on their respective media and and other guidelines they have listed, then share with the class. How to report on each platform: Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952 Anonymous Reporting for Self-Injury Posts If you see self-injury in a post or a post that makes you think the person who posted it is at risk, report it and we will connect them to organizations that offer help. Anonymous Reporting for Live Video Report at-risk behavior during a live broadcast. The person will receive a message offering help, support, and resources. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/1380418588640631 Report suicidal content IMPORTANT: If you've encountered a direct threat of suicide on Facebook, please contact law enforcement or a suicide hotline immediately. If the person you're worried about is a member of the US military community, make sure you mention this so they can provide this person with custom support. Full name of the person who posted the content As it appears on Facebook Link (URL) to this person's profile Please provide a link to the content you're trying to report so we can investigate. To get a link to the exact content you want to report: Find the content (ex: photo, video, comment) you want to report If this content is on someone's Timeline, click on the date/time it was posted (ex: 27 minutes, May 30 at 7:30pm) Copy the URL from your browser's address bar: Link (URL) to the content Snapchat: https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/report-abuse-in-app 78 • • • • • If you’re worried about a friend, reporting a safety concern in-app will provide both you and your friend with resources and support on these difficult topics. Here For You is a tool on Snapchat which will show safety resources when you search for certain topics, including anxiety, depression, stress, grief, suicidal thoughts, and bullying. Encourage them to contact Crisis Text Line by texting KIND to 741741 — it’s free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For an emergency, immediately call 911. TikTok: https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/report-a-problem/report-a-video Report the post If you see a video where someone who is referencing self harm or might need help, report it and we will reach out to them with the information they need. Don't worry, there won't be any penalties for the account because you reported it. The user will be directed to some resources that might help them through their current situation. To report for self harm, follow these instructions: • • • Tap the arrow at the bottom right hand corner of the video Tap the report icon Select "Self injury" and follow the prompts Contact a professional if you are in danger of immediate physical harm If you are considering harming yourself, or if you are concerned about the well-being of a friend or family member, please contact your local emergency services, a suicideprevention helpline, or expert listening service for help. Talk to someone you trust Asking for help, or opening up, can be extremely difficult, especially when it comes to your own mental well-being. However, just talking to someone you trust, like a family member or friend, can bring relief. Reach out to them and let them know about what you’re going through. Find out more about self-care and ways to support yourself It’s important to be kind to yourself when you are struggling with something or feel stressed out. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, give yourself a break and engage in activities that make you feel more supported and relaxed. Here are some self-care tips that others have found helpful. If you have a friend in trouble, you can also encourage them to contact a suicideprevention hotline listed below: • United States 79 o o National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line 741-741 Twitter: https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/glorifying-self-harm Expressing intentions of self-harm or suicide In-App You can report content for review in-app as follows: 1. Select Report Tweet from drop-down menu 2. Select “It expresses intentions of self-harm or suicide” 3. Submit your report Desktop You can report this content for review on desktop as follows: 1. Select Report Tweet from drop-down menu 2. Select “It expresses intentions of self-harm or suicide” 3. Submit your report 80 REFERENCES: Alhajji, M., Bass, S., & Dai, T. (2019). 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Japanese experience of HYDROGEN sulfide: The Suicide craze in 2008. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 5(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/17456673-5-28 Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain drain: The mere presence of One’s own Smartphone reduces Available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1086/691462 Ybarra, M. L., & Mitchell, K. J. (2004). Youth engaging in online harassment: Associations with caregiver–child relationships, internet use, and personal 82 characteristics. Journal of Adolescence, 27(3), 319–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.03.007 83 Name of Candidate: Eliza Jane Pace Birth date: April 20, 1998 Birth place: Murray, Utah Address: 2386 Olympus Drive Holladay, Utah 84124 84