Digital Citizenship& Social andEmotional Learning
NAVIGATING LIFE’S DIGITAL DILEMMAS

with the generous support ofDigital Citizenship &Social and Emotional Learning
Our Guiding Principles

Promoting Digital Citizenship means empowering students tothink critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly
in our digital world.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are crucial tomanaging these digital issues with perspective.

SEL skills can be integrated into any classroom or lesson — any
day of the week — to further making good decisions at home, at
school, in our communities, and in the workplace.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

ii

Using This Guide
A key aspect of Digital Citizenship is thinking critically when faced with digital dilemmas. Navigatingthese challenges isn’t just about rules and procedures; it’s about character. Students won’t support
someone being bullied if they don’t have empathy. They won’t see a problem with plagiarism if theylack integrity.
This guide will help you connect challenging digital dilemmas to social and emotional skills throughdiscussion questions, lessons, and digital tools that target key SEL skills and build students’ character.

Our Approach: Resources for Real-Life Challenges
Every section contains materials to help students think and act proactively about a specific topic.

1

2

3

A digital dilemma that
introduces students tochallenges they may face

Discussion questions
that focus on SEL skills
and help students
make wise decisions
when confronted withthe dilemma

Extension resourcesand digital tools to help
build SEL skills evenfurtherteaching tip: Be sure toreview each digital dilemma prior
to sharing with your students tocertify their appropriateness foryour particular grade level.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learningteaching tip: Looking for
more ways to explore these
topics with your schoolcommunity? Check out ourConnecting Families program to
expand the conversation beyond
the classroom.

© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

iii

Character Strengths
Our definitions for the character strengths used throughout this guide.

Communication Listening attentively andappreciatively, expressing
yourself clearly and sensitively,
and honoring differences.
Compassion

Humility

Not regarding yourself as more
special or better than others.

Integrity

Speaking the truth. Acting
in a sincere manner. Treating
people equally and taking
responsibility for yourfeelings and actions.

Perseverance

Persisting in a course ofaction in spite of obstacles.
Steadfastness in doing
something despite difficulty
or delay in achieving success.

Self-control

Being able to appropriately
manage your thoughts, feelings,
and impulses. Requires paying
attention to your emotions
and feelings.

Teamwork

Working respectfully andeffectively with a group anddoing your share.

Caring about others andbehaving toward others withaffection, generosity, andconcern.

Courage

Taking on challenges evenwhen there’s risk. Speaking up
for what’s right even if there’s
opposition; acting on yourconvictions.

Curiosity

Having a strong desire to learn
or know something — a search
for information for its own sake.
Actively seeking out challenges
and new experiences.

Empathy

Understanding the feelings andperspective of another person;
putting yourself in their shoes.

Gratitude

Being aware of and thankful forthe good things that happen inyour life and taking the time toexpress appreciation and return
kindness.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

iv

Table of Contents
Social Media& Body Image

2

Sexual Imagery& the Internet

17

Cyberbullying

5

Distraction, Multitasking& Time Management

20

Sexting &Nude Photographs

8

Digital Drama

23

Digital Footprints& Photo Sharing

11

Video Games& Violent Content

26

Privacy, Surveillance& Self-Disclosure

14

Selfie Culture

29

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

1

Social Media & Body Image
Digital Dilemma
Josh clicked open his Instagram app and saw the latest version of his grade’s
new favorite game. Someone would post pictures of four different girls on
Instagram, and others would vote for the most attractive by “liking” herpicture. The girl whose picture received the fewest number of likes would
be eliminated, and pictures of the other three girls were reposted foranother round of voting. The sharing and voting process would continue
until there was a winner. Josh said that one of the “worst” parts of thegame was that the girls who lost might actually initiate another roundof the game with a fresh set of girls, in the hopes of winning a separate
version. Still, he didn’t want to get involved. He knew that games like Hot or
Not were popular in other schools, so he figured this was just his grade’s version.

Discussion Questions
Self-Control
It’s easy to think that you
wouldn’t participate in thisgame. Why do you thinkpeople might participate
even though they know thegame is “wrong”? Do you
think there’s something
about social media thatmakes it easy for people
to ignore the potential
consequences of theiractions?
teaching tip: Try to get
students talking about thepressures they sometimes feelto participate in peer-related
activities and how it can override
their self-control.

Integrity
If your friend told you she wanted to start one of these games,
what do you think would be the right thing to say to her?
Empathy
Do you think that the pictures of girls posted in this game
would be the same as pictures the girls would have posted ofthemselves? How and why might they be different?
Humility
What is the difference between receiving a compliment inperson and a “like” on social media? Which is more meaningful?
Would you rather get one compliment in person or 100 likes
on Instagram? How does each impact your self-confidence
differently?
teaching tip: Humility involves thinking beyond the surface. Encourage
students to reflect on the emotions they feel when they engage in such
behavior. What is it that they get from liking or not liking something?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

2

Social Media & Body Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

Selling
Stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes
OnlineFeeling on
Display

Digital Tools

Four Little Corners
A simple, cute storybook about acceptance and standing up for what’s rightshows students that even though we all look different, we have the power totake responsibility for our actions and treat others with integrity.

Teaching Tolerance
Focusing on diversity, equity, and justice, this website provides resources forteachers to help students gain an appreciation for world cultures. The Mix It
Up activities move students out of their comfort zones to develop empathy
for others.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

3

As teachers, we sometimes
forget that little, everyday
actions in the classroom
have a huge impact on ourstudents’ lives.

Cyberbullying
Digital Dilemma
Mackayla looked away from her computer screen in disbelief. One ofher friends had just sent Mackayla the link to a vicious fake page … ofMackayla’s younger sister, Remy. Someone — she had no idea who
was behind it — had used Remy’s picture and name to make a fakeaccount. They filled out all of the “About me” sections making fun ofRemy’s interests, hobbies, and even her style and appearance. All of
the tagged pictures were pictures of Remy’s head superimposed onembarrassing bodies. One pictured showed Remy’s face on the body ofa very overweight older man, and another had Remy’s head on the bodyof a nearly naked bikini model. Even worse, it looked like the fake page had“friended” more than half of Remy’s grade. Mackayla remembered that Remy
had mentioned having some issues at school and had even come home crying acouple of times, but she had not realized that it had gotten this bad. Mackayla didn’t know ifRemy had seen the page yet, but she was devastated and knew that Remy would be too.

Discussion Questions
Courage
Do you think Mackayla should sayanything? If so, to whom and how?
teaching tip: Try to get students thinking
about ways in which they can stand up for
their own beliefs and the welfare of others byeven the smallest of actions.

Compassion
How do you think Mackayla could help
Remy in this situation, especially since
the hacker is anonymous?

Empathy
What might motivate someone to create a fake social
media page? How would you feel if someone invaded
your digital “space”?

Teamwork
As a victim of cyberbullying, Remy may feel isolated
and alone. What are some ways that you could
remind Remy that she has a supportive network offriends who care about her well-being?
teaching tip: The goal is to have students reflect on theimportance of community and various support systems and how
they can contribute to those communities.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

5Cyberbullying
Social Media & Body Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

What’sCyberbullying?

Cyberbullying:
Be Upstanding

Breaking Down
Hate Speech

Digital Tools

Sit With Us
This social app helps teens find a seat at lunch. Challenge students tobecome courageous ambassadors who host open lunches. Kids can be aforce for change, breaking down the barriers between peers who normally
don’t interact with each other.

STOPitThis anonymous reporting tool allows students to take action against
bullying. Develop and demonstrate a plan that shows students when andwhy they should report bullying and how integrity means making toughchoices.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

6

It’s through thecultivation of empathic
students that schools
become communities.

Sexting & Nude Photographs
Digital Dilemma
Devon opened his cell phone and saw a picture of a girl without a shirt on.
He couldn’t see her face, but saw the text message sent with the picture:“Fwd if you think Rachil is a slut!” Rachil was in Devon’s Spanish classand he immediately cringed, imagining how ugly this was going be
for Rachil at school tomorrow. Rachil had sent the picture to her exboyfriend Jose because he promised they would get back together
if she proved she trusted him. She sent it to him and they got back
together, but a few days later they had another fight and broke up. Jose
forwarded the picture to his friends. Then the picture spread like wildfire.

Discussion Questions
Communication
Do you think that Joseis manipulating Rachilin this situation? Whyor why not? Instead ofsending a nude picture,what do you think would
be a more appropriate
way for Rachil to “prove”
that she trusts Jose?

teaching tip: Encourage
students to explore
alternative ways of gaining
one’s trust through effective
communication skills.

Empathy
How does this dilemma speak to the issue of objectifying womenand girls? Why do you think Rachil is being called a slut when Jose
was the one who asked for (and distributed) her nude picture?
Integrity
Can sexting ever be a part of a healthy relationship, or are its
potential consequences too risky?
Compassion
Do you think it’s Devon’s place to speak up, even though he isn’t
directly involved in Rachil and Jose’s relationship? If you were Devon,
how would you respond to this picture?
teaching tip: Talk to students about the difference between understanding
what someone is going through (empathy) and having a desire to actually help
them (compassion).

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

8

Sexting& NudePhotographs
Social Media& BodyImage
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5
Picture Perfect

6-8

9-12

Cyberbullying:
Crossing the Line

Overexposed: Sexting& Relationships

Digital Tools
Mitra
This app gets students to engage in emotional self-assessment. Students
chart on a scale from 0 to 10 how much they lived their values — like
integrity — and felt emotions throughout the day. Over time, they’ll begin toreflect on how well they communicate with others.

StoryCorps
Have students listen to one of the 50,000 stories on the site, from themes
such as Latino and Veterans. Students will hear how others express
gratitude and compassion for people in their lives. They can then record theirown story about someone who has helped them.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

9

We inspire integrity in ourclassrooms because we want
our future leaders to makehonest, brave decisions thatpush us ever forward.

Digital Footprints & Photo Sharing
Digital Dilemma
When Vin sent his friend an embarrassing picture of himself on Snapchat, hehadn’t expected that his friend would take a screenshot of the picture andupload it to Facebook. He didn’t want to seem uptight, but he was pretty
embarrassed that the picture was posted for all to see. He texted his
friend: “Not cool, man. Take it down.” His screen lit up: “hahahah.” Vin
texted back: “Nah, I’m not playing, take it off.” His friend wrote back:“Whoa, chill out, I’m just playing,” but he didn’t take down the picture.
Vin was about to go through recruiting for college sports, and while heknew the picture wouldn’t get him in trouble, it wasn’t exactly the image
he wanted recruiters to see.

Discussion Questions
Communication
Compare how Vin and his friend use
the word “playing.” What are someconsequences of words with vague
definitions? Why do you think it ischallenging for Vin to effectively
communicate his feelings over text? Can
you think of a better way for Vin to talk to
his friend?

teaching tip: The goal is to illustrate how different
forms of communication can lead to effective or
ineffective understanding from both parties.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning

Perseverance
If Vin’s friend still refuses to take down the
picture after Vin’s repeated requests, what aresome other ways for Vin to make sure the image
doesn’t impact his digital footprint and hiscollege chances?

Courage
How might social pressure impact Vin’s
willingness to stand up for himself? Do you
think that people would stand up for themselvesmore often if they weren’t concerned about what
others thought of them?

© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

11

Digital
Footprints& PhotoSocial Media& BodyImageSharing
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

Talking Safely
OnlineTrillion-Dollar
Footprint

College Bound

Digital Tools
Zoo U
In this research-based social game, kids encounter problems where they
have to make decisions and practice skills such as communication andimpulse control. Teachers can gather assessment info about students’ social
skills to help them make better future decisions.

Couragion
With Couragion, students self-assess what is important to them in a job andare then matched to possible STEM careers. Quests and video role models
will help students persevere through the tough task of planning their future.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

12

What’s mostmeaningful about
curious explorationis the path, not thedestination.

Privacy, Surveillance & Self-Disclosure
Digital Dilemma
Nik and his girlfriend Blair were hanging out at his house. Blair got up to go
to the bathroom and left her phone on the couch. While she was gone, Nik
noticed her phone light up and saw the name Matthew out of the cornerof his eye. He was torn about whether or not to look, then decided hewould take a quick look at the texts displayed on the main screen. But
he couldn’t resist: He knew her phone password, so he typed it andopened the conversation. Before he knew it, he was scrolling throughBlair’s conversations. He saw that she had been texting Matthew a lot.
Nik was furious, but he couldn’t decide whether or not to confront Blairand admit that he had looked at her text messages. Finally, he decided hewas too angry to ignore it. Blair could not believe that Nik had looked throughher messages — she thought that he trusted her and she felt like this was acomplete invasion of her privacy.

Discussion Questions
Empathy
Consider both Nik’s and Blair’s points ofview. Why is Nik frustrated with Blair? Why
is Blair frustrated with Nik? Do you thinkthat one or the other has more of a “right”
to be angry?

Self-Control
Since Blair trusted Nik with her phone password,
does this give him a right to open her phone andread her texts? What do you think Nik shouldhave done after seeing that Matthew texted
Blair?

teaching tip: It’s important to illustrate how
examining each perspective can reveal that many
disagreements occur simply because they havedifferent views based on their experiences.

Communication
If you were Blair, what would you say to Nik? If
you were Nik, what would you say to Blair?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

14

Privacy,
Surveillance& Self-Disclosure
Social Media& Body Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

Private & Personal
Information

Safe Online
Talk

Private Today,
Public Tomorrow

Digital Tools
Calm
Calm helps students ease anxiety, reflect on their emotions, and learn how
to demonstrate kindness through guided meditations. As students practicetheir breathing, they’ll gain a better understanding of their own self-control
and how to manage it in stressful situations.

This I Believe
This site focuses on the writing, sharing, and discussing of people’s core
beliefs through short essays. Have students listen to or read essays by
theme — such as empathy — and then publish their own self-reflective
piece on the site to practice communicating their emotions.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

15

Just a small offeringof appreciation
can transform
relationships andboost student
self-worth.

Sexual Imagery & the Internet
Digital Dilemma
Kai hopped on his laptop to look for a new remote-controlled helicopter andfound a cool YouTube video showing how to make intricate aerial dives. He
watched the video on repeat, trying to learn the new moves. On the sideof the screen, sketchy video suggestions kept popping up, but he did
his best to ignore them. When his friend Carter came by to see what
he was watching, Carter told Kai he wanted to show him something:“Click on that ad over there, I bet I know where it leads.” Kai clicked on
one of the sketchy videos and was surprised to pull up a pornographic
website. He knew he probably shouldn’t be on the site, but he wasinstantly intrigued. Over the next couple of weeks, Kai continued to lookup different sites, all with pornographic material on them. Before he knew it,
he felt like he was “hooked.”

Discussion Questions
Integrity
Who do you think Kai could talk to about the
inappropriate site he found? Do you have a trusted
person? What would you say to them in this situation?

Self-Control
Pop-up video suggestions on YouTube often havenothing to do with the video you’re watching. Why do
you think this is? What makes it hard to stay focusedon what you were originally looking for and not get
distracted by other videos?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning

Curiosity
YouTube makes it easy for anyone tofind videos of virtually anything. Thiscan be great, but what do you think
are some drawbacks to having sucheasy access to so much content?

teaching tip: Help students distinguishbetween the initial act of being curious andthe good or bad decisions that may stemfrom that inquisitiveness.

© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

17

SexualImagery& theImage
Internet
Social Media& BodyExtension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

Privacy
Rules

Identifying
High-Quality Sites

My Online
Code

Digital Tools

NewselaStudents can find leveled, high-interest news stories on Newsela. Challenge
students to find an article where people are demonstrating integrity and one
where they’re not. Use the annotation tools to have students spot biases anddiscuss the honesty of citing one’s work.

Sown to Grow
Sown to Grow cultivates a growth mindset — giving students data to thinkcritically about their progress — by adding a self-reflective layer to any
assignment. As students set goals, they’ll begin to develop more control overtheir emotions and learning.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

18

Success isn’t based on
who is on a team but on
the culture created by
the team.

Distraction, Multitasking & Time Management
Digital Dilemma
Carrie was sitting at her family’s dining room table studying for a history
midterm. She promised herself two days ago that she was going tostudy for a couple hours each night until the exam, which was now
coming up the next day. Carrie really needed to do well on the test; at
her school, the rule was that students could only compete in sports
events if their grades were high enough. Carrie was supposed to playin tennis regionals at the end of the month, but she needed to boost
her history grade by eight points. The last couple of days were not very
productive, so Carrie was really feeling the crunch. She tried to focus,
but the material was just so boring. Before long, Carrie found herself
scrolling through her news feed instead of her World War I study guide. Thenher phone buzzed next to her, and she looked down and noticed she had 22 text
messages in her group text. This was not going well. Carrie flipped her phone on silent, turned
it upside down, and decided to see if she could find any interesting history videos about WorldWar I on YouTube. An hour later, Carrie had gotten totally pulled into Epic Rap Battles ofHistory and had made no progress on her studies.

Discussion Questions
Self-Control
What suggestions would you give Carrie to help her avoid distractions
from studying? How could Carrie use technology to help with — rather
than distract from — her studies?
Perseverance
How can Carrie stay motivated even though she may find the material
boring? Can you think of some short-term or long-term goals that
Carrie could set for herself to help her study (besides being allowed toplay sports)?
teaching tip: Students learn as much from failure as from success. Model forthem how working hard is a process of ups and downs.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning

Curiosity
What do you thinkof school policies
that require highgrades for sports
participation? Do you
think it matters what
motivates students tostudy (playing sports
vs. learning)? Other
than getting good
grades, what might
motivate a student to
do well in school?

© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

20

Distraction,
Multitasking& Time Management
Social Media& Body Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

The Key to
Keywords

Strategic
Searching

CollectiveIntelligence

Digital Tools

RemindWith Remind, teachers can give due-date reminders right on students’phones. Challenge students to show integrity and self-control by owning up
to missed deadlines and using the two-way messaging service to give realjustifications.

NaNoWriMo
Have students use the Young Writer’s Program to persevere through the taskof writing a novel in a month. The site uses tools like an online word count tobreak the process into manageable steps, and students can use the forum to
ask questions when they get stuck.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

21

Compassion creates a culture of students who
are one step closer to making real, positivechange in their communities.

Digital Drama
Digital Dilemma
Erin was home sick from school watching a movie when she looked downat her phone and saw her screen filled with text messages written incapital letters and punctuated with exclamation points. “I HATE YOU!!!
HOW COULD YOU?!” Erin panicked — she had no idea why she wasreceiving the flood of vicious text messages. She frantically texted twoof her friends, but both were in class, and her calls went to voicemail.
A few hours later, Erin pieced together what had happened. Someone
had hacked into her best friend’s Facebook page, acted as Erin, and sent
perverted messages to the best friend’s boyfriend. The best friend was
furious and was convinced it was Erin, since Erin was the only person who
had her password. Erin hadn’t been at school to defend herself, so their otherfriends had already heard about the incident and were mad at Erin, too.

Discussion Questions
Integrity
If you were Erin’s best friend andrealized that you had falsely accused
Erin of hacking into your Facebook
page, what do you think you should door say? Do you owe Erin an apology, or
was your reaction justified?
teaching tip: When dealing with the “rightthing” to do, there’s hardly ever one answer.
Make sure to treat all student answers with anopen mind.

Communication
Do you think it was reasonable for Erin’s bestfriend to assume that Erin was the one who hacked
her? How can jumping to conclusions lead to
miscommunication?

Empathy
Why do you think a person might impersonate
someone online? What might cause that person toseek attention or cause chaos in this way?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

23

Digital
Drama& Body Image
Social Media
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

The Powerof Words

The Reality of
Digital Drama

Turn Down the Dial
on Cyberbullying

Digital Tools

inspirED
inspirED acts as a resource for lessons that build social and emotional skills.
Along with accessing the uplifting activities, teachers can help students
organize an inspirED team that works together to build empathy and make apositive impact on the whole school community.

The Noun ProjectThis site aims to create a global visual language of symbols and icons.
Students learn what it would be like to communicate only through visuals
and can design their own icon, thinking about how to best represent a word
through a picture — which might help them better understand the impact of
their own words.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

24

Healthy communication isvital to thriving workplacecommunities; it is essential
for effective collaborativeclassrooms as well.

Video Games & Violent Content
Digital Dilemma
Jaden isn’t a “hardcore gamer” compared to many other kids he knows, but
he does have a few video games that he loves. His latest favorite is DoomBattle. Jaden’s parents are constantly bugging him about how much time
he spends gaming, but from Jaden’s perspective, he spends way lesstime playing than most of his friends. Plus, he finds it’s a great way tounwind and relax after a long day at school. Jaden’s parents tell him to“do something productive” or “at least go hang out with your friends.”
Yet Jaden doesn’t see gaming as a waste of time, and he often playswith his friends. Lately, his parents have been threatening to put time
limits on his video game playing, and Jaden feels like he’s being punishedwhen he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Discussion Questions
Empathy
If you were a mediator, how would
you help Jaden and his parents
consider each other’s points of view?
What do you think would be a goodcompromise between Jaden andhis parents?

teaching tip: Try to get students thinking
about what experiences, perspectives, orbiases a parent might have to make themmore or less willing to allow video game time;pose some possible scenarios for the class.

Communication
If you were Jaden, how would you explain your point ofview to your parents? If you were Jaden’s parents, howwould you explain your point of view to Jaden? Why
do you think it is difficult for Jaden and his parents tosee eye to eye?

Gratitude
Appreciating one another can impact people’s abilities
to resolve conflicts. In Jaden’s case, how do you think
being grateful for his parents might play a role in theirconversation about video game screen time?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

26

VideoViolent
Content
Social GamesMedia &&Body
Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5
The Rings of
Responsibility

6-8

9-12

My Media

Digital Life 102

Digital Tools

Seesaw
Seesaw’s digital portfolio allows students to submit a variety of work, suchas videos or drawings, then reflect on learning through a voice recording.
Have students practice communicating their learning to parents andteachers to build a shared understanding.

PairinThis program includes a survey that measures 105 soft-skill personality
attributes like self-control or social awareness. After receiving the data,
students can reflect on which strengths they are grateful for, as well as workwith teachers and parents on areas of future growth.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

27

So much of the way we use
technology today challenges
the idea of restraint, fromtweeting in anger to postingfor “likes.”Selfie Culture
Digital Dilemma
Dylan’s friend Jamie was completely addicted to posting selfies. Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, you name it — Jamie’s page was covered
in selfies. Dylan had tried to ignore it, but it was only getting worse and a
few things were especially driving Dylan crazy. One: Their other friends
had started making fun of Jamie’s posting. Dylan didn’t know what to
do — defend Jamie or join in? Tell Jamie about their friends’ teasing, orjust stay quiet? Two: Whenever they were hanging out, Jamie would
be snapping selfies or asking for Dylan’s opinion about which picture
to post and what to make the caption. It started to seem like it was allabout Jamie, all the time, and Dylan was exhausted.

Discussion Questions
Perseverance
If Dylan asks Jamie to tone down theselfie posts but Jamie ignores his request,
what do you think Dylan should do next
(without nagging his friend)?

Empathy
Selfies aren’t necessarily a bad thing. What aresome good aspects of selfies? Where would you
draw the line between in-control and out-of-control
selfie-taking?

Self-Control
Why do you think Jamie is “addicted” toposting selfies? What reason(s) mightsomeone have for constantly posting
pictures of him/herself?

Humility
What role do you think social media plays inpeople’s evaluations of themselves? Do you thinkthat the pictures people post on social media are
accurate reflections of themselves and their lives?
Why or why not?

teaching tip: Point out to students that
addiction and self-control are related, but are not
the same thing. Ask them what they think the
difference is.

teaching tip: Try to get students thinking about the bigger
picture. How do they see themselves around friends? How dothey see themselves as part of a larger, global community?

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

29

Selfie
Social Culture
Media & Body Image
Extension Resources
Suggested Digital Citizenship Lessons

commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

3-5

6-8

9-12

Super
Digital Citizen

Which Me
Should I Be?

Becominga Web Celeb

Digital Tools

Peekapak
These digital stories help kids understand the differences between gratitude,
self-control, courage, and more. With great at-home connection activities,
students will start to reflect more on who they are and what roles they playat home and in school.

Big History ProjectThis site looks at science and history from a broad lens and ultimately asks
questions such as “Why are we here?” Project-based learning activities
get students questioning their humble existence while predicting the next
pivotal moment in Earth’s future.

digital citizenship & social and emotional learning© 2017 Common Sense Education. All rights reserved.

30

You don’t have to stopusing the tools you loveor toss out your lesson
or curricular plans tostart developing SEL.