Questions to prompt discussion with students:

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Elementary School Students (dialogue starters):

Balancing Screen Time and Playtime

• How do you decide when it’s time to take a break from screens and go outside to play or enjoy other activities? 

Seeking Help from Adults

• How do you know when to alert an adult to something you’ve seen or experienced online? 

Staying Connected

• How can you balance time spent communicating with friends on your phone with other things you want to enjoy? 

Middle School Students (dialogue starters):

Managing Screen Time Wisely

• How can you balance your screen time with schoolwork, fun, and responsibilities? 

Using the Tools

• What apps have you tried to limit your screen time, especially when you really need to focus?

Empathy and Online Communications

• In person, people use a lot of nonverbal communication to show their feelings. How can you express empathy online when someone is having a hard time?

High School Students (dialogue starters)

A Footprint that Lasts

• How can the things you post, comment on, or share on social media affect your reputation? 

Tools for Finding Balance

• What apps or settings do you know about that can help you remember to put down your phone when you need to focus on other things? 

Cyber Kindness

• We talk a lot about cyberbullying, which can cause real harm. How can a person do the opposite—use social media to make someone feel good? 

More resources for Parents, Students, & Educators

• Drugs on Social Media: What Parents & Educators Need to Look Out For
• What is the Chroming Challenge: Understanding the Perils of Inhaling Toxic Chemicals
• TikTok Tranquilizer Challenge: What Parents & Educators Need to Know

Conclusion

Students are digital natives and between screen time at home and screen time at school, they often spend quite a bit of time online. Protecting kids online is more important today than ever before with the risk of online predators, online drug sales, and other dangerous situations that kids have the potential to be exposed to. The most important defense against these online risks is having an ongoing dialogue with students so they understand what red flags they should be looking out for and know what to do if they find themselves in an unsafe situation.