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Course: Social media literacy > Unit 1
Lesson 1: How to use this courseSuggestions for using this course: Students and families
Want to know how to use this course by yourself or with your family? Start here!
Using this course: Students and families
Want to understand why you can’t stop looking at your phone? Research shows that social media has caused significant and measurable harms to society and individuals. But we also know that social media could be a powerful tool for learning and connection. In this course, designed by the Center for Humane Technology, you will learn how and why social media has been designed to "hack" our brains. You'll reflect on the role of social media in your own life and in the lives of your peers. And you will imagine what more humane technology might look like and fight to realize a better future.
Suggestions for using this course:
This course is filled with articles, reflection and discussion guides, and activities designed to engage you in better understanding the technological world around you. To get the most use of out of this course, we recommend:
- Doing paired articles and reflection activities together
- Taking the time to think or write about the reflection questions
- Discussing your responses, thoughts, and feelings with a trusted adult or friend. This stuff can be heavy.
- Making sure to complete the Take Action! lessons at the ends of units. These will help you take control of your own social media usage and fight for better technology.
Want to join the conversation?
Why does society revolve around technology so much? If society were to suddenly lose all technology would we survive?(7 votes)
We are a species are all about making things more efficient and fast. That said, we have technology at our fingerprints — all of the world's information, our family, and the news of the current day are at our fingertips.
Technology is so embedded into the fabric of our lives that if we were to lose it, it would disorient all of us and likely cause panic.(8 votes)
Why are we so attached to our phones?(5 votes)
Simply, this is because the internet contains so much information and can be so entertaining and connective.(2 votes)
how come we aren't able to put or leave our phones? Why do we panic when we lose them? Why are we so attached to a screen?(3 votes)
I agree with what Rhiannon brings up. Another reason for the panic reminds me of before we all had phones, and everything was in our wallets/purses/backpacks/fanny-packs. When you would lose those things it would cause such panic because so much important and personal stuff was in there. Same with today's phones, there are photos, banking info, texts, emails, phone numbers, GPS data. So while the panic might be from the lack of stimulation, it may also have to do with the personal items.(4 votes)
Why are we worried about the use of phones? if they're are good for us but also bad for us?(2 votes)
Phones themselves aren't completely bad but they are extremely easy to become addicted to, which is bad. I encourage you to do a little digging for yourself on this topic, there's a lot involved.
A few years ago, I gave a speech in my communications class about the dangers of social media (and phone use in general). The biggest take-aways are:
1) The time you lose by being on your phone - and every app out there is fighting for your time (check your screen time report to see how much time you're losing and to what apps. Personally, depending on your life/career and what you use your phone for, I would consider anything above 3 hours a day to not be healthy, but there are probably other more scientific sources out there that discuss this as well)
2) Addiction - obviously bad - abused phone use can be extremely taxing on your mental health and even physical health. Sleep disruption is a big one. Want more sleep? Put the phone down. Attention spans also plummet with increased phone and social media use, I see this all the time in my classes.
3) There are lots of privacy and safety issues surrounding phones and social media, even if you're smart about it (privacy, identity theft, fraud, being exposed to misinformation or false advertising, stalking, just to name a few issues).
Look up testimonies from people who have successfully decreased their phone/social media use. The two stories I used in my speech mentioned getting better, healthier sleep, having better attention spans, not being distracted, and being able to focus and retain information better. Not sure about you, but this sounds way better than endless scrolling.(2 votes)
why are we so attatched to our devices(2 votes)
Many people are passionate about science and technology because they believe it is the key to human progress and advancement.(2 votes)
a lot of people are addicted to their phones.(2 votes)- Talking to parents or calling them in the school office and the guidance counsellor to ask them about their next class.(2 votes)
- Why does everything involve social media now(1 vote)
Major organizations and businesses recognize that in order to keep up with our rapidly evolving society, they must promote themselves more than ever in the hopes of reaching their potential consumers within the palms of their hands, and it's incredibly easy to do so with the increasingly concerning problem of phone addiction.
Check out this article for more on why we're so glued to our phones these days: https://hbr.org/2022/11/our-social-media-addiction(3 votes)
- What makes technology so addictive?(2 votes)
- What is something that kids need to learn?(1 vote)