One of the things that makes social media so miserable is the feeling of loss of control. You can't tell how much time has evaporated while you're watching the video. You become obsessed with why someone reads your message but doesn't respond, and you get stuck in an endless loop of comparison with your peers who are always doing better.
At the same time, social media is a place for people, especially middle school and high school students, to pursue hobbies, advocate for causes they care about, and connect with friends and family.
The technology needed to take back control is “digital agency,” according to experts who recently spoke at SXSWEDU in Austin. That means making meaningful choices about how technology will fit into our lives. Early March. They argue that this is an important part of digital literacy and helps children learn how to use social media in ways that enhance their wellbeing rather than detract from it.
“It helps to think about it. [social media and tech] Carrie James, executive director of the Center for Digital Prosperity at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said:. “Social media can amplify the very real challenges young people are experiencing, but it can also amplify positive sources of support and actually be a lifeline for some young people. The reality is that for many young children it is a mix of both.”
She said schools play a big role in supporting students’ digital agency.
But how can we exercise, let alone teach, digital agency?
The key to digital agency is when teens know what their values are and can align their use of technology with those values, James said. But to do that, young people need to make sure they understand what their values are. They have strategies to avoid pitfalls in both the way social media is designed and the way people think. It’s about developing mindful technology habits.
Teaching students to practice digital agency means helping them identify what they value, James said.
“How does technology help you live the values that are most important to you today, and how does it make it more difficult?” She said this while speaking at SXSWEDU.
Teachers can do this through value alignment exercises. Here, students select values they find important, such as connection, physical health, and independence, and categorize them into three categories: important, very important, and most important. Teachers should then encourage students to examine how technology can help support these values or hinder them from living them.
Helping students navigate ‘thinking traps’.
Another important component of digital agency is being able to identify “thinking traps,” also known as cognitive distortions. These are irrational, negative thinking patterns that can lead people to believe things that aren't necessarily healthy or true, James said.
For example, a student might see that a message they sent was read but not responded to. Their initial reaction may be to think that their friend is mad at them. Eisha Bush, director of education programs at Common Sense Media, said this is an example of a thinking trap called “mind reading.” That means assuming you know what the other person is thinking. Most likely, the other person simply forgot to respond, but we need to teach that mindset to our students.
“I think my friend is mad at me because he didn’t reply to my text. Why else? The battery is discharged. They are practicing soccer. It may be an absurd or plausible idea, but just the act of doing so can help us escape the spiral,” Buch said in a SXSWEDU session. “A lot of times our experience with technology can lead us into these traps, and we want to help young people identify them and get out of them.”
Coming up with alternative explanations is one of three strategies Buch and James recommend for combating thinking traps. The remaining two ask students to prove themselves wrong (Do you have any evidence that what you think is true? Is there more evidence that your initial reaction may be wrong?) and ask students what advice they would give to a friend who has been in a similar situation. I'm asking. situation (often with the idea of giving yourself kinder, more optimistic advice).
Recognizing that these thinking traps are occurring can go a long way toward helping students make corrections relatively quickly, reducing negative emotions and preventing problematic behavior, Buch said.
Another important component of avoiding thinking traps is recognizing the design pitfalls that are built into social media platforms to keep users drawn to and engaged with the platforms, Buch said. For example, new videos automatically play after they end or infinite scrolling in social media feeds.
Finally, achieving digital agency requires developing positive technology habits—automatic technology-related routines that students engage in without thinking. Technology habits, like checking in on family members, can be good, but they can also be unhelpful, like scrolling through social media at bedtime. Teachers can encourage students to identify their good and bad technology habits and focus on engaging in positive habits and breaking negative habits.
Common Sense Media and the Center for Digital Thriving developed a free curriculum for middle schools that includes presentation slides, activities, and handouts. and high school Learn about digital agency and how to teach tech wellness.