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