Is social media bad for our mental health? - Civil Discourse for Classrooms

Thinkalong.org is a free, evidence-based interactive tool for students to develop media literacy skills by applying the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy to public media content. Importantly, the tool does not require registration for teachers or students, abides by student privacy laws, and is advised by a board of both youth and educators.

Each module consists of:

• a compelling and timely question;
• related current and age-appropriate public media content including audio, video, and text;
• extension resources for advanced or highly-interested students;
• student graphic organizers;
• a simple debate tool;
• a teacher's guide to the module;
• and a guide to the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy.

This Teacher's Guide supports the Is social media bad for our mental health? module on thinkalong.org. Here is the full module and below is a summary.

As a number of social media platforms have become ubiquitous, many researchers have begun to study the effects on our mental health. Is social media an addiction? Is seeing the most “perfect” versions of people causing us to become depressed? Are we benefiting from using these platforms in any way? Is social media bad for our mental health?

To use this module with learners in any setting, we recommend using one of the structured discussion formats outlined at thinkalong.org/structuring-discussions. You can find options for a small or large group, so that all students or just a few participate, and examples of some discussion formats.