Teachers: View our Educator/Classroom Guide Here‍

Student Discussion Topics

• What keeps you watching or wanting to go back to an app?
• How do you feel when you realize you’ve spent more time on an app than you planned?
• Can you think of any other tactics apps use to keep your attention and keep you scrolling?

Conclusion

Video apps can be a lot of fun, especially for students who are looking for some quick entertainment. These short videos are ingrained in pop culture and can also play a role in a student’s social life. Finding ways to use video apps in a balanced way can help students reduce excessive screen time and some of the negative impacts it can have on their lives.

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Student Discussion Topics

• Evaluating Your Content
  • How would you rate what you watch online on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being “only watch things I care about” and 1 being “whatever shows up on the screen”?
• The Attraction of Video Apps
  • What keeps you watching or wanting to go back to an app?
• Compelling or Compulsive?
  • What do you think makes certain videos or apps so hard to stop watching once you start?

Student Discussion Topics

• Two Sides of Video Apps
  • What are some pros and cons of your experience with video apps?
• Understanding the Algorithm
  • How do you think the videos that show up in your feed are chosen for you?
• Taking Back Control
  • How could you change the way you consume content on social media so that it’s more aligned with your interests and makes you feel energized?

Student Discussion Topics

• Knowing When to Move On
  • Describe a scenario where you might decide you’ve spent too much time looking at a screen (either while you’re on it or after you’ve gotten off)
• Screen Burnout
  • How do you feel when you realize you’ve spent more time on an app than you planned?
• Managing Your Time
  • What strategies do you think would be most effective in managing how much time you spend on screens?

Student Discussion Topics

‍Can’t Put It Down

Why is it so easy to spend hours on social media without really meaning to?

Unhealthy Content

What kinds of content that you don’t want to seeor don’t think is healthy have shown up in your social media feeds?

Effects of Overindulging in Social Media

How could consuming too much social media have anegative effect on someone’s mental health, and what underlying problems mightexacerbate that?

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Conclusion

Video apps can be a lot of fun, especially for students who are looking for some quick entertainment. These short videos are ingrained in pop culture and can also play a role in a student’s social life. Finding ways to use video apps in a balanced way can help students reduce excessive screen time and some of the negative impacts it can have on their lives.

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Teachers: View our Educator/Classroom Guide Here

Student Discussion Topics

What limits can we agree on as a family about the positive use of video apps and social media?

What issues, if any, do you have about using Apple ScreenTime as a family, and can we talk those through?

What are some goals we can set to move towards easing restrictions on your video app and social media use?

Conclusion

Video apps can be a lot of fun, especially for students who are looking for some quick entertainment. These short videos are ingrained in pop culture and can also play a role in a student’s social life. Finding ways to use video apps in a balanced way can help students reduce excessive screen time and some of the negative impacts it can have on their lives.

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Student Discussion Topics

Middle School Students (Dialogue Starters):

Social Media and Time Management

• How long do you think you can reasonably spend online without it interfering with other priorities?

Exploring New Avenues

• What things are you interested in that you might add to your social media feed to make it more productive? 

Balancing Screen & Life Time

• Knowing your own habits, what tips do you think would help you reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone?

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Key Takeaways: 

• TikTok and other video-based apps feature algorithms designed to keep kids on the app for as long as possible, which is key to their profitability
• Short videos can give users a dopamine spike that can make short-video features on social media addictive while shortening students’ attention span
• Turning off autoplay features can help users avoid mindless viewing
• When students make conscious choices of what to watch on social media, they’re more likely to engage their minds and choose content they care about

Dialogue Starters:

Parents of Elementary School Students (to ask students)

Tell Me About TikTok

• Have you watched TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, and if so, what makes them fun for you?

Parents of Middle School Students (to ask students)

Mindful Social-Media Consumption

• If you’re on TikTok, what kinds of videos do you look for—or do you watch whatever pops up?

Parents of High School Students (to ask students)

Talking About Time Management

• How do you balance the amount of time you spend on TikTok and other social media with your other priorities? 

More resources for parents, students, & educators

• Best Screen Time Apps for Students
• ‍Making Screen Time Fun While Reducing the Negative Impact‍
• 10 Screen Time Management Tips to Prevent Addiction‍
• Balancing Video Game Screen Time for Teens

Conclusion

Video apps can be a lot of fun, especially for students who are looking for some quick entertainment. These short videos are ingrained in pop culture and can also play a role in a student’s social life. Finding ways to use video apps in a balanced way can help students reduce excessive screen time and some of the negative impacts it can have on their lives.

Questions to Think About

Social Media and FOMO

What is FOMO, and how does social media contribute to it?

What’s the Harm?

Can you name some of the emotional, physical and other consequences of excessive time spent on social media / video apps?

A Different Approach

What are some ways you could change the way you use and think about popular apps to make using them a more positive experience?