1. Social Media
Examining our relationships and lives in the modern world of media and technology

2. Learning Objectives In this Electronic Learning Station, you will:
Think critically about the way your use of social media influences your personality and your life; this will include your mental health, your relationships with people you care about, and your joy and happiness with life and how you live it.
Make connections between your social media usage and your satisfaction in your life.
Think deeply about how you relate to and communicate with the people in your life.
Make connections with the literature we have read in this unit.
Learning Objectives

3. As you work through the eStation, keep the following Big Questions in your mind:
How does our relationship with social media affect the personal relationships we have in our lives?
What are some effects on human beings who use social media?
How is social media guiding the way we interact with one another and the way we think?
Essential Questions

4. Individually and on a separate sheet of paper, write for 3 minutes about your social media usage. Some areas to consider:
What is your favorite app for connecting with others?
What media and technology help you stay in touch with people you care about?
How much time do you estimate you spend on social media?
How does your usage compare with that of your peers?
After the 3 minutes are up, spend another couple minutes sharing your thoughts with your partner. What similarities and differences exist between your freewrites?
Freewrite

5. Dr. Cal Newport TedTalks
Watch TWO (2) segments from the following Ted Talk by a computer scientist, Dr. Cal Newport. Watch these 2 segments:
1. Beginning to 2:30 (Introduction)
2. 6:55 to 13:40 (Social Media is not harmless)
Discuss 2 of the harms of social media according to Dr. Newport. Do you agree or disagree with his position taken in this Talk? Does your partner? Are there parts with which you agree and others with which you disagree? Spend a couple minutes discussing your thoughts, then…
Make a minimum of 2 EEJ entries that you may use in your upcoming end of unit essay.
Dr. Cal Newport TedTalks

6. Forbes Magazine, Technology
ACTIVITY #1
Read the following article (both Page 1 and Page 2 – remember to hit the forward button) and then answer the questions on your sheet of paper. If the link does not load, see the document on Ms. Valdez’s website
Question #1: According to this article, the study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed its participants used social media for 61 minutes per day. How many times more are social media users of more than an hour a day likely to demonstrate symptoms of depression? Explain the reasoning behind this study.
Question #2: Which social media company conducted a controversial human behavior experiment back in January 2012? What were the findings of the experiment?
Question #3: Do you think there might be a link between social media and depression in teenagers? Explain your answer.
Forbes Magazine, Technology

7. ACTIVITY #2
Read the following discussions regarding certain aspects of the app Snapchat. Look up unfamiliar words (including ephemeral).
Take 2 minutes to discuss your thoughts about this popular app and what you found interesting or remarkable in the articles.
Write 2 EEJ entries from any of the 3 articles you have read.
Snapchat

8. Poetry Gary Turk’s “Look Up”
ACTIVITY #3
Watch the video of this artist’s spoken word poetry.
On your separate sheet of paper, write a short paragraph that contains your reaction to this poem. How does it affect your thinking about social media? How can this poem connect or relate to the literature we have read in class for our unit so far?
Poetry Gary Turk’s “Look Up”