This is Audrey Howell's 2025 Capstone Website, which displays, in the tabs above, her research proposal, presentations, and final product, a curriculum for fifth graders about responsible social media use. 

These are the baseline questions for the research and curriculum:

Essential Question

Does social media affect children’s social skills?

Primary Research Question

Do TikTok and video-focused media sites affect 8-12 year old children’s attention span, face-to-face conversation skills, and playtime?

Secondary Research Questions

What is the displacement hypothesis, claiming that social media sites take children away from playtime, and is it correct?

Does social media alter children’s functional connectivity in their brain, resulting in loss of attention span?

Are children less able to form friendships and interact with their peers as a result of social media?

Is there a way for information to be presented to children today impacted by social media, in a way they will remember?

How can a teacher keep children engaged?

How can we help children from being negatively affected by social media?