Preparation

The following lessons should precede this one:

• c201 - Age Appropriate Media
• c202 - Media Usage Time
• c203 - Psychological and Social Risks
• c204 - Legal Risks
• c206 - Physical Risks
• c208 - Protecting Children's Privacy
• c209 - Preventing Cyber Grooming, Sextorsion and Love Scamming
• c2L10 - Accompanying Chats and Online Communication

To demonstrate certain features it can be helpful to register one or more social media accounts. In order to protect your own privacy you can:

• create a non-personalized e-mail address just for the test registrations
• use social media services either on an old smartphone, tablet or laptop or use a browser that protects your privacy 

 If you want to demonstrate any of the networks you will need: 

• Facebook: Register with e-mail address, app or webbrowser, most content only visible after login
• Instagram: Register with e-mail address, app or webbrowser (functionality in browser is limited), most content only visible after login
• Twitter: Register with e-mail address, app or webbrowser, most content is visible without registration. If you go directly to a Twitter account page you can even use the search function, e.g. https://twitter.com/CumilaEu
• Snapchat: Register with a user name, app (on a desktop it is possible but needs technical experience), as most content is not permanently stored you cannot watch it without using it
• TikTok: Register with a user name, app or webbrowser, most content is visible without registration.
• YouTube: Google account necessary, app or webbrowser, most content is visible without registration
• Twitch: Registration with e-Mail, app or webbrowser, most content is visible without registration.
• Pinterest: Register with e-mail address, app or webbrowser, most content only visible after login

Method / Process description

• Exercise "What do you know about Social Media": You should determine first how much your class already knows about social media. Start by gathering on the board which social media channels participants know and use. Indicate for each network how many people are using it.

• Input: Basics of Social Media (Module 6 > 6.2. Accompanying children in their use of digital media > Accompanying Social Media) 
  • Beginners: If the result of the exercise looks more like the first picture, start with a general introduction to social media and the most frequently used services. Explain how social media works (Module 2 > Communication > Social Media).  
  • Advanced: If your result shows that participants are already involved in the topic, you can leave out the basics and focus on the services that are most popular with kids: TikTok, Snapchat and Twitch.
  • To explain the services, it is advisable to show the participants the content directly in the apps or on the website of the services (see recommendations under "Preparation"). Choose examples that show both positive and negative aspects (although this is of course very much a matter of personal taste). Depending on how the class reacts to the content, this is also a good topic for a group discussion.  
  • For an overview of all social media services use the Social Media Prism. 
  • Remind participants of the official age restrictions for social media apps.
• Exercise "Be Your Self(ie)": In this exercise, participants will experiment with selfies. Each participant should take at least one selfie (most will enjoy it, but don't force anyone). Use participants' smartphones, which ideally have photo editing software. If you want to have some real fun, install (either on participants' devices or on a test device) Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok and experiment with the editing and filtering options. The goal of the exercise is:
  1. Learn about the features of the apps.
  2. Experience the fun and fascination of editing and filters.
  3. Experience how quickly you are drawn to create an idealistic image of yourself. 

• Group discussion: Talk about the selfie experience.
  • How did participants feel about taking a selfie? Was it fun or uncomfortable?
  • What do they think about the filters (Are they good because they are fun? Are they bad because you don't look yourself anymore?)?
  • Address the topic what it might do with people if they regularly publish edited and optimized images of themselves (some are mentioned in https://www.ft.com/content/9c00219a-229a-4b82-a7c3-63000b558053) 
  • If you have some technically interested people in your class you can also address the topic of image recognition systems, where artificial intelligence is used to identify people on pictures on the web:
    • Privacy activists challenge Clearview AI in EU:  https://www.dw.com/en/privacy-activists-challenge-clearview-ai-in-eu/a-57691756?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-rdf
    • How to stop AI from recognizing your face in selfies https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/05/1024613/stop-ai-recognizing-your-face-selfies-machine-learning-facial-recognition-clearview/
    • And the tool that modifies your images so that AI is no longer able to process them: https://lowkey.umiacs.umd.edu 

(original image by https://thispersondoesnotexist.com)

• Input: Summarize the risks that children may  encounter on social media (also repeat from previous lessons). To illustrate the points, show examples from your country's social media: well-known influencers, celebrities on social media, politicians,...:
  • Insufficient protection of children as the services were originally designed for adults (see examples in Module 6 > 6.2. Accompanying children in their use of digital media > Risks for children and young people online > Accompanying Social Media). 
  • inappropriate content (e.g. sexual or violent content, fake news)
  • cyber bullying
  • cyber grooming and sextorsion
  • losing control over usage amount due to psychological design of the apps and addressing basic needs 
  • abuse of imagery by pedosexual circles and face-recognition services
  • encouraging kids to dangerous behavior (e.g. challenges or risky selfies)
  • filter bubbles and reality distortion through algorithmically controlled content output
  • negative feelings (e.g. depression, low self-esteem)
  • negative influence on body perception, may encourage eating disorders
  • extensive data collection and creation of user profiles for marketing purposes
  • influence from political or extremist circles
• Exercise "What's good about social media?": Split the class in groups of 2-3 persons and let them discuss for 10 minutes what positive impacts social media can have, for adults and for children. Get back in plenum and gather results on the board. Highlight the results that also apply to children. Was there anything that was only positive for adults?

• Input: Explain technical measures for parents to protect children (see Module 6 > 6.2. Accompanying children in their use of digital media > Risks for children and young people online > Accompanying Social Media > Customize Social Media App Settings).
  • settings of social media apps and accounts (a lot of recommendations as applied to chat apps in the previous lesson)
  • Social media services with parental control function: TikTok.
  • Special offers for children: YouTube Kids 
  • Address special apps for children and highlight that they do not provide adequate protection or are not accepted by children due to limited features.
• Group discussion: What other things than technical restrictions can parents do? Gather with participants on the board. If they do not address all the points, add from Module 6 > 6.2. Accompanying children in their use of digital media > Risks for children and young people online > Accompanying Social Media > Age Appropriate Use 
  • Re-emphasize the importance of guided use, learning how to use the services together, and regular communication with children about the topic.
  • Introduce children to defense measures: blocking & reporting contacts, contacting parents/friends when anything strange happens.
  • Make children aware of the risks and the importance of privacy.
  • Explain ways to find help (in the family or outside) in case any problem occur (gather some local or web based offers and introduce them to participants).
  • Is anybody's child already using social media? What is their experience?
  • Hand out the printable "Family Guidelines Social Media".

• Reflection: 
  • Ask participants at home to research social media services that follow a different approach than using user data for advertising purposes and controlling output with algorithms (see e.g. What on Earth is the fediverse and why does it matter? https://newatlas.com/what-is-the-fediverse/56385/).
  • Let participants reflect at home whether social media is still necessary and good for people (see e.g. Does quitting social media make you happier? Yes, say young people doing it https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/sep/21/does-quitting-social-media-make-you-happier-yes-say-young-people-doing-it)

Download material

• Printable "Family Guidelines Social Media"
• Social Media Prism (originally available at http://ethority.de/social-media-prisma but website no longer online)

References