Lesson Overview
Participants will learn how to manage their time online and use tools that encourage them to spend their time more positively and intentionally on social media.
Youth Online Safety and Well-Being
Lesson 1: Tools for Managing Time on Instagram
Before you start the lesson, make sure to read through the lesson overview and the module presentation.
Lesson Preparation
ESTIMATED TIME
- 60 Minutes
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
- How do you manage the time you spend online?
MATERIALS
- Youth resources on health and well-being and finding balance online
PREPARATION
- Students will need to read the finding balance online article.
Ready?
Begin Lesson
Group Discussion [10 minutes]
ASK YOUR STUDENTS
- How do you balance your time between online activities and offline activities? Do you have any strategies to avoid excessive screen time?
- What are some warning signs that you might be spending too much time online, and how do you address them?
- How do you handle peer pressure or the fear of missing out (FOMO) when it comes to online activities? Do you feel pressured to be constantly connected?
Part 1: View Activity Dashboard
TELL YOUR STUDENTS
The Activity Dashboard shows you how much time you’ve spent on Instagram daily and weekly. By tapping and holding the blue bars, you can see how much time you’ve spent on Instagram on a particular day. There is also an option to view your time as an average.
It is easy to lose track of time scrolling through Instagram. By bringing awareness to how much time you spend on Instagram, you will be better equipped to manage your time more effectively moving forward.
Part 2: Set Daily Reminder
TELL YOUR STUDENTS
Setting a Daily Reminder is an effective tool to give yourself an alert when you’ve reached the amount of time you want to spend on Instagram. You can use your Activity Dashboard to guide you in establishing your daily time limit. Setting a daily time limit can help make your experience on Instagram feel more mindful and meaningful.
Part 3: Quiet Mode
TELL YOUR STUDENTS
Quiet mode is a tool on Instagram that allows you to mute push notifications and silences them for a set time window. You might decide to mute your notifications when studying, doing homework or when you want to wind down for the night.
When the preset time is up, your notifications will return to their normal settings without needing to manually reset them.
Part 4: Take a Break
TELL YOUR STUDENTS
Take a Break is a tool that encourages you to take a break from Instagram when you’ve been scrolling for a while. This differs from Daily Reminders in that the Take a Break feature focuses on a singular Instagram session.
Part 5: Nudges
TELL YOUR STUDENTS
Nudges is a feature that encourages you to make your time on Instagram more supportive and intentional. A nudge is a notification that appears when you’ve been repeatedly looking at the same type of content. Nudges are meant to help you explore something new. You have the option to select the recommended post or scroll past the nudge. If you opt to pivot toward the nudge, you will be shown an alternative grid of recommended posts.
Source
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