Outcomes
CC B10.1 Compose and create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts to explore:
• identity (e.g., Diversity of Being);
• social responsibility (e.g., Degrees of Responsibility); and
• social action (agency) (e.g., Justice and Fairness).
AR B10.2 Set personal language learning goals and select strategies to enhance growth in language learning.
Curricular Theme
The World Around and Within Us
Overview of the Lesson
Social media allows for new kinds of self-expression that were not possible before. Since users are not necessarily interacting with people they know, they have more freedom to express themselves in ways that would not have been possible to them before. People who may otherwise be afraid of judgement from their communities can find a safe space to try things they could not before online.
However, there can be problems with this kind of self-expression when the online version of oneself comes into conflict with the version that is in the offline world.
This lesson asks students to reflect on the version of themselves they put out on social media, and whether or not that version matches with who they are offline. Along those same lines, students begin to ask themselves if there is only “real” version of themselves, or if there can be multiple parts of themselves that come together to form one whole.
As with other Common Sense Education lessons, they provide a set of slides and a worksheet that can be used with the lesson. These resources can be adapted to best fit the needs of any teacher.
Start of the lesson
Common Sense Education suggests beginning the lesson by having a discussion with students about whether they link the “you people see on social media is the real you?” (2019)
While beginning with this type of questioning may be appropriate, it could also be worthwhile to have students begin the lesson by thinking about what kinds of things they see shared on social media, and why those things get shared? As well, since social media thrives on engagement, students could also think about what kinds of posts they see that get the post “likes”, and why people engage more with those particular posts.
After discussing their ideas with the class, students are to watch a short video about teens and their opinions about what they see on social media. As they are watching, students should be keeping track of the different speakers and trying to find one who stood out the most to them in terms of what they had to say. Students will then share what they thought with the class.
Development of the Lesson
During the development phase of the lesson, students are to work in partners and go over two resources of their choosing. Two of the resources are videos, and one is an article.
This is not recommended by Common Sense, but I would recommend having all students use the article, and they can choose one of the two videos to watch. This would allow for more types of literacy skills to be utilised in the lesson.
The resources are:
Are you living an Insta lie? Social Media vs. Reality– YouTube video about the lengths people will go to appear “perfect” on social media.
Our Digital Selves Official Teaser #4– a documentary trailer about the video game Second Life and the people who play it. This trailer seems to take the position that these types of games can allow people to extend their existence and do things that they may not be able to do in their non-digital lives.
I Have 2 Million Instagram Followers, But No Friends– New York Post article about online influencers who feel an emptiness from not having friends to share their successes with offline.
For these resources, students are to take notes on the handouts provided about what each text is saying about “curated” vs. “real” selves. As well, they need to think about what the benefits and drawbacks of each sources depiction of the two selves presented.
Conclusion
As a final piece of assessment, students are to make an avatar for how they wish to be presented when online. Common Sense recommends using the website Avachara, a free online avatar creator. From going through the website, this particular site seems a little outdated, and there are other potential avatar creators students could use, such as Fotor, another avatar maker with a more high resolution engine.
The most vital part of this exercise is to have students reflect on the aspects of their real and curated selves that are present in their avatars. This should have students examine the parts of themselves that are important, and the aspects of their identity that they want the world to see, and what they want to keep private.
The goal of this lesson is not to necessarily make students want to share all aspects of their lives online, but it should make them more aware of what they are sharing online and if they want others to see that. While the process of posting has not always been considered a part of the reflective process, it is important for students to become reflective posters if they are going to be caring and engaged digital citizens.
References
Common Sense Education. (2019, August). Curated Lives. https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/lesson/curated-lives
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (2011). Saskatchewan Curriculum: English Language Arts 10. https://curriculum.gov.sk.ca/CurriculumHome?id=37.
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