Media Balance and Well Being

Launch the unit with an introduction to the overall topic of Well Being and Media Balance.

Nearpod Collaborate Board

Introduce key vocabulary for the unit with Frayer Models or Circle Maps.

Review unit vocabulary with Nearpod match game

Warm Up: Device-Free Moments 5 mins.

Ask: Do you know why it's not OK for people to drive and text on their phone at the same time? (Slide 3).

Invite students to respond. Examples might include: It's unsafe, you can't pay attention to traffic, it's illegal, you don't want to hurt somebody accidentally.

Say: Today we're going to talk about why it is important to have some device-free moments in our lives. Let's start by watching a funny commercial about this topic.

Show the Common Sense Device-Free Dinner Video on Slide 27.

Say: I'd like you to turn to your partner and talk about what you noticed

Say: I'd like you to turn to your partner and talk about what you noticed in that video. Are there moments where it would be better not to use devices? (Slide 5)

Call on a few students to share what they or their partner said. Student answers will vary, but typical responses might include: When you're out at the movies, at church, mosque, or temple, during family dinners, right before bed, etc.

Explain to students that the responses they shared are examples of when technology can be a distraction.

Explore: Device-Free, When and Where? 10 mins.

Say: Although every situation and every family is different, there are times in all of our lives when it's a good idea to have device-free moments. You also have to think of how being on a device affects those around you, because it can also affect our friends and family. Let's talk about a few key points to consider so that we can have more device-free moments in our lives.

Project the corresponding slide and talk through each of the four key areas to consider in selecting ideal device-free moments. Emphasize that technology use is not always a distraction, but that there are certain times when it's best to keep devices away.

Safety: There are times when you or someone else's safety could be at risk. (Slide 29)

An example is when somebody is crossing the street. If they're on their phone when they're crossing the street, they might not be able to see a car coming.

Respect for people: There are times when it hurts other people's feelings if you are distracted and not paying attention to them. (Slide 29)

An example of this is when someone is talking to you directly. If your friend is trying to tell you an important story, put down your game and listen. It's important to pause for people!

Concentration: There are times when you should give your full attention to a specific activity. (Slide 29)

An example is when you are reading a book, doing homework, or even doing a craft. These activities require you to give a task your full attention, and sometimes having devices out makes it harder to concentrate on what you're doing.

Sleep: There are quiet times, like when we are going to sleep, when devices should be put away. (Slide 29)

Doctors recommend that people stop using devices at least an hour before bedtime because the blue light on the screen can affect how well we sleep.

A good idea is to charge devices away from where you sleep so that you're not tempted to use it right before bed. It's important to get your rest so you can have a great next day.

Create: Family Device-Free Rules 20 mins.

Say: Today you're going to get to be in charge. You're going to create a list of family rules to have device-free moments! This list of rules is not just for you, but also for your parents, siblings, and whoever else you live with. You'll be able to take them home to share with your family.

Distribute the Family Device-Free Rules Student Handout. Read aloud the directions and examples on Slide 30. If you feel students need more guidance, you can come up with example rules for each category as a class and have students pick the rules most relevant to their family.

Remember: This is a time for students to reflect on their own lives. Everyone's family is different and so students' Family Device-Free Rules may vary.

Invite students to share their rules. Be sure to cover each of the main focus areas: Safety, Respect, Concentration, Sleep.

Reflect: Pause & Think Moment 5 mins.

Say: Today we talked about how devices can be distracting, and how to make device-free moments. In your reflection, I'd like you to think, draw, and write one piece of advice you would give a grown-up (your mom, dad, babysitter, uncle, etc.) about how to avoid digital distraction. Don't be afraid to be the boss and lay down the rules.

Distribute the Pause & Think Moment Student Handout. Read the directions aloud and allow students to complete the reflection independently. (Slide 13)

Invite students to share their reflections with the class. Collect handouts to assess student learning.

Send home the Family Activity and Family Tips.

Review unit vocabulary with Blooket game

Warm Up: Attention Getter - 10 mins.

Project Slide 4. Have students reflect on the image and then discuss the questions with a partner. Call on pairs to share out responses. Invite volunteers to explain their captions.

Ask: What are some things you like to do on your phone or other devices? As students respond, highlight any of the following actions they mention:

• Text and read texts

• Post and check on social media

• Watch videos

• Play games

• Listen to music

• Read news articles and blog posts

Ask: Why do you enjoy doing these different activities? Call on students to share their thoughts. Encourage students to pinpoint specific reasons for their device use, including getting positive feelings, being entertained, engaging in their interests, and maintaining relationships.

Explain to students that when we use media and devices, sometimes we have specific reasons for doing so, but sometimes we don't have a reason or goal. We do them out of habit, which means something we do automatically without thinking. (Slide 5) If necessary, provide some examples of habits, including blinking, running your fingers through your hair, cracking your knuckles, biting fingernails, and giggling.

Ask: Going back to your list of the things you like to do on your phone or device, do you think you ever do those things out of habit? If so, do you think that's a good or bad thing? Call on students to respond, helping them surface which digital media habits they have and whether they think these habits are positive or negative.

Say: Using digital media can be fun and interesting. In fact, it's built to be that way. The features of your devices and the apps and the games and websites you interact with all have been designed by people who want to get your attention. Today we are going to talk about how they do that and how it affects you.

Read Article “What Social Media Does to Your Brain” (Slide 38)

Watch and Analyze: Why Do We Get Hooked? - 15 mins.

Show: the Teen Voices: The Pressure to Stay Connected video and have students discuss the questions on Slide 6 with a partner.

Guide students to understand that features like autoplay on Netflix and YouTube, likes and comments on social media apps, and goals and levels in online gaming increase people's use of these tools. These design features can sometimes lead us to form unhealthy habits like checking our phones obsessively and spending more time online than we'd like.

Say: Our brains are wired to build habits. We have habits for our daily routines, like the way we brush our teeth or the things we do to get ready for school. Tech designers understand the power of habits. Their job is to get you to use their devices or tools as a habit, without even thinking about it. This makes them successful and makes them more money. This is called addictive design, which refers to features or aspects of a device or app that are intended to hook the user into frequent use.

Point out that addictive design works because it uses feedback loops, which is when you get a response to something you do or post online causing your brain to experience a temporary moment of pleasure. (Slide 41) Feedback loops create a kind of reward that makes a habit stick. You do something, you get a response that makes you feel good, and then you want to do it again.

Ask: How does social media use addictive design like feedback loops to get and keep your attention? Students may note the following features:

• Likes, dislikes, or other ratings

• Comments

• The ability to share pictures and see other peoples' pictures

• Streaks

• Videos with autoplay features

• Live Streaming

Video: The Pressure to Stay Connected

Compare and Contrast: Addictive Design Vs. Humane Design 10 mins.

Say: Thinking about our media choices and the habits we form while using them is important. Good habits help us build healthy and happy lives. Bad habits can make our lives more difficult.

Project Slide 41. Point out that while addictive design is used to create many kinds of media, there is a movement to develop media using humane design.

Say: Humane design prioritizes what is good for us. It includes technology that is designed to be useful and really add value to our lives.

Distribute the Humane or a Brain Drain? Student Handout. Read the directions for Part 1 on the handout and allow students time to complete the activity in small groups. (Slide 42 & 43) Invite students to share some of the humane-design features they noted. Sample answers include:

• The ability to control when and if you receive alerts/notifications

• Alerts, rewards, and activities that don't necessarily involve using the app

• The ability to disconnect for selected amounts of time

• A way to monitor use

Say: Humane design encourages tech designers to design tools that really add value to our lives, not just get us to use the app more. Note that some apps and games can have elements of both humane design and addictive design: Some features might be helpful, and others might be a hindrance.

Review unit vocabulary with Nearpod Time to Climb

Continue Common Sense Media: Digital Media and Your Brain (Grade 8)

Wrap Up: Making Healthy Media Choices - 10 Mins

Say: Much of the digital media we use incorporates addictive design, which gets us to use it more but doesn't really benefit our lives. We can make choices to use media that incorporate humane design to get the best out of media in our lives.

Direct students to Part 2 of the Humane or a Brain Drain? Student Handout. Have students complete the activity with their small group. (Slide 44 & 45) Then invite groups to share their responses.

If time allows, invite volunteers to share the three rules they will use when they decide to spend time using digital media with addictive features. Encourage students to borrow tips and strategies from one another to give themselves a greater variety of ideas.

Review Addictive Design vs. Humane Design

Complete Common Sense Lesson Quiz

Send home the Family Activity and Family Tips.