Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Parents and Teachers: View the full Facilitation Guide Here

Elementary School Students (dialogue starters):

• Good Digital Citizenship
  • What do you think it means to be a good citizen on social media?
• Who’s Watching?
  • When people post things on social media, they’re often focused on their friends seeing it. Who are some other people that  might be finding your social media posts?
• Social Media Role Models
  • Who are some positive role models whose social media posts you might follow as good examples of being light, bright, and polite online?

Middle School Students (dialogue starters):

• Social Media’s Agenda
  • How do you think social media apps encourage people to stay online for hours, overshare, and engage in other behavior that’s probably not in their best interest?
• Living Your Values
  • If a company you’d love to work for states that they recruit people with a “passion for changing the world,” how could you display that quality on social media?
• Making an Impression
  • One expert in the video talked about “building your brand” online. How would you describe what that looks like?

High School Students (dialogue starters):

• Telling Your Story
  • What activities are you interested in, and how can you post about those to showcase your involvement in an authentically positive way?
• How Posts Can Impact Your Future
  • Can you think of an example of how someone might gain—or lose—an advantage in the college or job market because of things they post online?
• Loaded Subjects
  • What are some topics you might avoid engaging with online, knowing you can’t fully erase it later on if you have second thoughts about what you posted?

Additional Resources

• Positive Effects of Social Media for Students
• Parental Control on Student Devices: What Parents & Educators Need to Know
• Making Screen Time Fun While Reducing the Negative Impact

Conclusion

Students have been told time and time again that social media can have a negative impact on their lives, but they rarely hear about the ways that it can benefit them or positively impact their mental health. From creating a more dynamic college resume to building communication and online editing skills, social media can create plenty of positive opportunities for students.

While it’s important for parents to talk about the dangers and risks of being online, it’s also important for kids to understand the positives of social media. When kids understand the negatives and positives of social media – and regularly talk to their parents about them – they will be better equipped to use social media wisely.