the teenage guide to life online by nicola morgan … · the teenage guide to life online by nicola...
TRANSCRIPT
THETEENAGEGUIDETOLIFEONLINE
byNicolaMorganTEACHINGNOTES
ThankyouforyourinterestinTheTeenageGuidetoLifeOnline(TTGLO).Youmightbethinkingofusingthebookinschool;ortryingtounderstandcurrentscienceaboutthepositivesandnegativesofscreen-use,theWebandsocialmedia.Oryoumightbeplanningavisitfrommetoyourschool.IgivetalksonadolescentwellbeingallovertheworldandIknowthebesteventshappenwhenthestudentsarewell-prepared.Butyou’rebusy,sotheseideaswillmakeiteasyforyou!
Whateveryouraims,thisshortsetofnoteswillhelpyou.TTGLOisperfectforthewholeofsecondaryschool.Itwouldalsobeusefulforupperprimaryandforparentsandschoolstaff:anyonewhocaresaboutadolescentwellbeing.ThesenotesshowyouwhatTTGLOcoversandofferideasandactivitiestohelpyourstudentsgetthemostfromthebookandhelpyouencouragehealthyonlinebehaviours.Ienvisagethatyou’dreadeachchapterbeforesharingaspectsofitorreadingittothem.Youwon’tneedaclasssetofTTGLO–thoughschoolsdousemybooksinthatwayanditwouldbeagreatidea!Youjustneedacopyforyourselfandmaybeoneortwointheschoollibrary.IfI’mdoinganeventwithyou,Ialwaysbringafreebookortwo.WHATTHEBOOKCOVERS–ANDIDEASFORACTIVITYORDISCUSSION:Note:everysectionapartfromtheintroductoryWelcometotheInternetissplitintoPositivesandNegatives,andthenhasHowtoAvoidTheseNegatives.WELCOMETOTHEINTERNETBriefhistoryoftheWeb;fascinatingfacts;whyit’ssotemptingandmaybeaddictive;safety.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Checksomeofthestatsandseehowthey’vechanged.(Refsatendofsection.)• Dothesmartphoneaddictionquizonp31• Discussproblemstheythinkmightcomefrombeingdependentonphones/screens.
Haveanytriedtoreduceusage?Whatgood/badhabitsdotheyfeeltheyhave?• Discusstheonlinesafetytips.Dostudentshavestoriestotellaboutproblems
they’vehadorheardabout?• MakeaSixTipstoBeSafeOnlineposter.Theyshouldhonethewordstomakemost
impact.
SOCIALLIFEONLINEOpportunitiestomakefriends;broadenminds;contactpeoplewithsameproblems,valuesorneeds;easeofconversation.Manypossiblenegativesincluding:over-use;oversharingandonlinedisinhibition;competitionwith“perfect”lives;“like-spamming”;self-esteem;trollingandcyber-bullying;more“friends”thanyoucanmanage;lossofconversationskills.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Debate:“Socialmedialeadstobettersociallives”.Generateaformaldebate,withoneteamarguingforeachside.Vote!(Anddotellmetheresult!)
• Eachstudenttochooseapositiveoranegative(orboth)andwriteashortpieceabouttheirexperienceofeach.
• Whatistheirfavouritesocialmediaplatform?Aretherethingstheywishweredifferentaboutit?Whatwouldthe“perfect”platformbelike?Whyhasn’tsomeonedesignedit?(Thinkaboutcommercialaspects–needtomakemoney.)
• Howimportantisitthatpeople“like”orrespondtoposts?Howdoesitmakethemfeelwhenveryfewdo?Whataretheproblemswiththisfeeling?
THEKNOWLEDGEANDINFORMATIONEXPLOSIONPositives–suchastheeaseoffindingfacts;becominggoodatskim-reading;abilitytogrowexpertise;alltheamazingappsandtools–arebalancedagainstnegatives:informationoverload;losingdeepreadingskills;reducedmemory;fakenews;accesstopornography.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Howdoweknowwhatwereadistrue?Whyistheresometimesfalseinfoonline?(Deliberateandaccidentalreasons.)Howcouldyoucheck?Howmucheffortdoyoumaketocheck?Doyousometimesjustbelievethingsbecausetheysoundexciting?
• AccordingtoWikipedia,whatwasmynamebeforeImarried?(Wikipediaiswrong!)• Cantheyfindanyexamplesoffakenews?(SeeSnopes,thewebsite–
www.snopes.com–forcheckingtruthofviralnews/videoetc.)BUSYBRAINS:ACTIVEANDALERTOurscreensallowustoexerciseourbrains;neverbebored;learnskills;freeourmemoryforotheractivities.Butthisisanareawithreallyimportantnegatives:distractionandlowerconcentration;mentalexhaustion;lossoffree-thinkinganddaydreamingtime.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Discuss:howeasydoyoufindittoconcentrate?Whohasaphoneinviewwhiletryingtowork?Whydoyouthinkthatmightaffectconcentration?
• Designanexperimenttomeasureeffectofworkingwithphonenearorofhavingotherwindows/Appsopenwhileworkingonscreen,comparedtoworkingwithoutpossibilityofinterruptions.Whatideascantheycomeupwithtotestthis?
• Experimentwithperiodsoftimewhennoscreensareusedinclass.Talkabouthowitfeels.Doweagreescreens/Internetarefantasticbutmaybetherearetimeswhenit’sbettertoswitchoff?
• Getstudentstomakeadiarytorecordon-screen/off-screentimesover24-hourperiod.Anytimespentlookingatscreen(includingphone)countsason-screen.Alsorecordhowoftentheycheckphone.
• Whosometimesfeelsexhaustedbyonlineoron-screenactivity?UseSwitchOffScreentime.Increasedailyoff-screentimebydeliberatelybuildinginfun,engagingoff-screenactivities:playsport,havefun,chat,becreative,readabook,rideabike.
THEINTERNETANDCREATIVITYTheWebprovidesloadsofopportunitiestobecreative,inart,video-making,writing,craftsorlearningnewskillsandhobbies.Youcanshowcasecreations,makemoney,improvetechnique,usedesigntoolsandevenbefamous!Onthedownside,youmightpublishworkbeforeit’sready;yourisknotlearningcrucialbasicskillsbecausesoftwaredoesitforyou;workcanbestolenoryoucanberippedoff;andthere’scopyingratherthantrueoriginality.Butthesenegativesareeasytoavoid.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Whatcreativethingsdoyouenjoy?Whohasmadeavideo,recordedmusic,writtenstories,createdartwork,andputitonline?Whatdotheylike/notlikeaboutthis?
• WhatarefavouriteAppsforcreatingthings?• HowhastheWebhelpedyoulearntodothings?
READINGONSCREENSReadingonscreenmeanswedon’thavetocarrylotsofheavybooks;wecankeepourreadingprivate;wecanadapttextifwe’redyslexicorvisuallyimpaired.Butarewelosingabilitytoreaddeeply?Ifwereadquickly,mightwemissthings?Evidencesuggestsscreenreadingismoredistracting;somepeoplefindithardertogetintoabook.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Whoreadsforpleasure?Whoreadsebooks?Whofindsitaseasy/enjoyabletoreadanebookasaprintbook?
• Investigatebenefitsofreadingforpleasure.(Mywebsitehasasectiononthereadingbrain;also,put“readingforpleasure”or“readaxation”intothesearchbox.)
• Downloadthe“readaxationdiary”frommywebsiteanduseitasaclassactivity.THEINTERNETANDMOODThisiswhereresearchtellsusleastandheadlinesshoutloudest,butIbelievewecanuseself-awarenesstoseehowscreensmightaffectmood–forbetter,worseorboth.Positivesincludebeingabletogetsupportonline;thingstolaughat;chancetotakeourmindoffworries.Butnegativesabound:increasedanxietyorlowmoodfromreadingscaryorsadnewsstories;bombardmentofinfo;seeingeveryone’sapparentlyperfectlives;howeasyitistoreactangrilyandemotionally.
IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:Caution:thisisanareawheretriggeringnegativethoughtsisagenuinerisk.Thistopicneedstobetackledverysensitively,withstrategiesforoptingoutandforexpressingstress.Beawareofwhichstudentsareespeciallyvulnerable.Emphasisethatitisnormalhumanbehaviourtobeaffectedbysad/scarythings.
• Howdoyoufeelwhenyoufirstreadastoryofsomethingbadhappeninginthenews?Howdoyoufeeleachtimeyoureadaboutitagain?Doyoufeelcompelledtoreadallthedetails,overandover?Doyougetthefeelingthisisunhealthy?Canyouthinkofsomestrategiestoavoidthis?
• Howmuchdopeoplefilterandeditwhattheyputonline?Whateffectcanithaveifwealwaysseeperfectversionsofotherlives?
• Createapoemorpieceofartworktoexpresshowsomeonemightfeelwhentheyseeeveryone’sperfectlives.
• LookatsomeoftheDoveCampaignforrealBeautyvideos–thesearenotonlyaimedatgirlsandIthinkallgendersshouldseethem.
• Doyouknowthatlaughterraisesmood?WhatareyourfavouritefunnyYouTubevideos?Cantheclasswatchonenowandseehowitimprovesmood?
• Howhardisittostepawaywhenyourealisesomethingonlineismakingyoufeelbad–whethersadstoriesonanargumentamongstfriends?Canyoucomeupwithstrategiesforsteppingaway?
• Dramaactivity:ingroups,createa<5-minutedramaaboutsomethinghappeningonlinewhichisnegativelyaffectingsomeone.Howdoesitturnout?
• Whowillyouturntoifsomethingbadishappeningtoyouonline?Dowehavestrategiesinplaceforthat?
THEINTERNETANDSLEEPThisistheonlytopicwhereIfoundnopositives!(OtherthantheabilitytousetheWebtolearnaboutsleep…)Icoverthereasonswhyusingscreenscanhaveanegativeimpactonsleep,becauseofthelight(usually)beingasimilarwavelengthtodaylightandourdevicesbringingusalerting,excitingorstressfulmessages.IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Askstudentstoinvestigatethescience–it’softenamoreproductivewaythanussimplytellingthem.
• Discussthe“digitalsunset”ideainmywebsitearticle:“Digitalsunset–agreatideaforwellbeingandsleep:www.nicolamorgan.com/life-online/digital-sunset-great-idea-wellbeing-sleep/There’salinktoausefulvideo.
• Challenge:foroneweekagreetokeepallscreensofffrom1.5hoursbeforeanagreedbed-timeuntilthemorning.(Wherepossible,devicesshouldbeoutofthebedroom,toavoidtemptation.)Getparentstodothesame.
USEYOURNEWPOWERSThefinalsectionencouragesreaderstomakeuseofwhattheyhavelearntandsuggestsarangeoftipsforgoodscreenhabits,followedbySIXSTEPSTOONLINEWELL-BEING.(Ihaveausefulpostcardtohighlightthefourmostimportantpoints.)IDEASforclassactivity/discussion:
• Readthetipsanddiscusseach–orchooseafewtofocuson.• InvestigatethePomodorotechniqueandthinkofwaystoapplyit.• Howmightyougetparents/familytofollowthesameguidelines.• Eachstudentcouldmakeapostertoshowthewaystheyspendtheirday,including
onlineandoff-lineactivities.(Couldbeaclock-face.)Askthemtodecidewhethertheyfeeltheydoenoughofthefollowing:sleep,physicalexercise,face-to-faceconversation,offline/off-screenhobbiesandjusttimetolettheirmindswander.(Daydreamingisgoodforus–thereismoreonthatinthebook.)
GENERALIDEASFORYOURSTUDENTS1. Downloadapostcardoftips,whichyoucanprintand/orenlargefordisplay.(See
www.nicolamorgan.comàBooksàTeenageGuidetoLifeOnlineàscrolltothelink.)IfIvisityourschool,I’llbringsomesignedpostcardsandsomepostersfortheschool.
2. Askstudentstoinvestigatemeonline.Theyshouldusemywebsiteandotherplaces.Getthemtoconsiderhowthey’llknowwhatisreliable.• WhatsortofpersondotheythinkIam?WhydoIunderstandteenagerswell?AmIa
scientist?WhydoIwanttohelpyoungpeople?DoIspendalotoftimeonline?!WhatsocialmediaplatformsdoIuse?DoIusethemwell?WhatdoInotuse?Why?
3. TakethisLifeOnlinesurveyonline:www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/P8R939R4. TakethisPositivelyTeenagesurvey:www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5L8LCQK5. TaketheReadaxationsurvey:www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHRPCC96. Chooseaquestiontoaskmeviamywebsite.Obviously,Ican’tanswerloadsandloads
ofquestionsbutifyourclasspicksoneI’llbemorethanhappytoanswer.Imightansweritonmywebsiteandgivetheschool/classaname-check–letmeknowifthat’sok.ContactusingtheContactpageofmywebsite.(UntilJune8th2018there’sacompetitioninvolvingaskingquestions.SeetheNewssectionofmywebsite.)
7. IfI’mvisiting,discussquestionstoask.Youcanmakethisworkbestwithaclassdiscussioninadvance,sothattheclasscanchooseinterestingquestions.Wecouldputtheminaboxformetopickoryoucouldsendtheminadvanceorwhateveryoulike.
Dovisitmywebsitetoseeallthefreeresourcesaswellasinformationaboutmyotherbooksandworkwithyoungpeople.IhopeyouenjoyTheTeenageGuidetoLifeOnlineandmyotherbooks,especiallyBlameMyBrain,TheTeenageGuidetoStress,TheTeenageGuidetoFriendsandPositivelyTeenage.Remember:Idoeventsforteenagers,professionalsandparents.SeetheSpeakingareaofmywebsite.NicolaMorganwww.nicolamorgan.com
Notes