LEARNING OBJECTIVE

 To understand the concept of online identity, describe specific ways to protect that identity, and understand how to make smart decisions while posting online

HEALTH ED STANDARD

Demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health (NHES 5)

KEY VOCAB

meme, slew, context, counterintuitive, scapegoat, diffusion

Lesson Plan: Could Your Face Go Viral?

Teens are tech-savvy, but do they know how to protect their privacy online? This fun quizstyle story offers realistic advice for managing their digital rep. 

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can I better control my online identity?

 CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS

  1. What is a viral meme? A viral meme is a photo with a caption that takes an online image and turns it into a joke, often spreading quickly across the internet. 
  2. Why is identity theft more likely to happen to kids and teens? Their financial records are clean, so thieves can easily open credit cards and rack up thousands of dollars of debt in their names. 
  3. Why is the anonymous nature of the internet more likely to cause bad behavior? If you can’t see a person’s facial expressions, have never heard their voice, and don’t know much about their life, it’s much harder to tap into your own sense of right and wrong. 
  4. How can pictures of you that you aren’t aware of be added to your digital identity? Facial recognition technology uses tiny details to match the image to other photos of you, then links the new image to your name

Like What You See?

Then you'll love Choices, our health, social-emotional learning, and life-skills magazine for grades 7–12 

 CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

  1. How can you help promote a positive digital identity? Possible answer: You can ask your parents and friends to use good judgment when posting pictures of you, create an alias for your social media accounts, and use the Internet to spread positive messages. 
  2. Why do you think celebrities are so often the targets of negative behavior online? Possible answer: People might be jealous of their fame and fortune, which can kick off the shame-storm efect. Also, large “mobs” follow everything they do online, which can lead to mob mentality. 
  3. Colleges and future employers are likely to search for you online when making decisions about your character. Are you comfortable with what they might find? Why or why not? Answers will vary.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

MAKING CONNECTIONS

NHES 2

Many of your students probably aren’t aware of the identity they’re forming online. In this activity, they’ll use the DIGITAL FOOTPRINT handout to trace and evaluate their online reputation. (Key questions: What shows up when their name is searched? Is it the best representation of their character? And if not, how can they clean it up?)

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

NHES 5

Personal responsibility is the key to staying safe online. In this activity, students will gather in groups to discuss what they’ve learned about internet privacy. Then, have them fill out our PERSONAL DIGITAL GUIDELINES handout, which will help them create their own list of rights and rules for posting on social media.

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