Students live online. They navigate social media, gaming platforms, messaging apps, and video sharing daily. They need critical awareness about online risks, not rules and fear.
Digital citizenship teaches: How do I stay safe? How do I treat others respectfully online? How do I manage my digital footprint? How do I recognise manipulation and misinformation?
Activity: Search students' own names on Google and social media. What information is publicly available? Discuss: "Is this what you want people to know about you? Can you control it?"
Teach: Personal information (phone, address, school) should stay private. Think before posting—once shared, it's permanent. Future employers, universities, and strangers can see it.
Discuss: Who are safe online contacts? How do you know someone is who they claim to be? When should you tell a trusted adult about an online interaction?
Red flags: Adults asking personal questions, requests for photos, offers that seem too good to be true, pressure to keep secrets from parents.
Role-play scenarios so students practise safe responses: "A stranger online asks for your location. What do you do?"
Define cyberbullying: repeated, intentional harm via digital means. Discuss: Is a mean comment bullying? Is sharing an embarrassing photo cyberbullying? (Answers depend on intent and repetition.)
Bystander responsibility: "You see a friend being harassed online. You don't join in, but you say nothing. Is that okay?" Discuss the power of speaking up, reporting, supporting the target.
Share examples of misinformation: fake news headlines, doctored images, conspiracy theories. Ask: "What makes this believable? What's the source? Is there evidence? Who benefits if people believe this?"
Teach verification strategies: Check the source's credibility. Look for corroboration in reputable outlets. Consider the date (is this old news presented as new?). Notice emotional language (designed to upset, not inform).
Discuss screen time, sleep, and mental health. Does scrolling before bed affect sleep? Does comparing yourself to others online affect mood? Is it okay to take a break from socials?
Normalise healthy habits: Turning off notifications. Unfollowing accounts that make you feel bad. Taking phone-free time. This isn't about fear—it's about balance and wellbeing.
