Digital Media Literacy

Learn to collaborate with staff, families, students, and community partners to establish shared norms that promote responsible digital habits beyond the school day, while fostering digital media literacy—the ability to access, evaluate, and engage with online content thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

Adding digital media literacy to a full curriculum requires thoughtful planning to complement existing priorities without overwhelm.

Consider starting digital media literacy in elementary school as students begin using technology, with more advanced lessons in middle and high school.
Digital media literacy can integrate seamlessly into student leadership opportunities and a range of subjects, including:

- Social Studies and Language Arts by analyzing media, understanding bias, and evaluating credibility.
- Computer Science and Technology by teaching critical thinking, how algorithms work, and responsible tech use.
- Health and Social Emotional Learning by addressing the mental health impacts of technology, such as social media use, and promoting well-being.
- Student Government representatives, sports teams captains, and extracurricular activity leaders.

Flexible implementation: Schools can implement digital media literacy through:

Embedding lessons in core subjects or advisory periods.

Project-based learning, workshops, or standalone lessons.

Connecting digital media literacy lessons with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Framework, which include related standards, to streamline integration into existing coursework.

KEY MINDSET SHIFTS FOR TEACHER

Teacher mindsets matter. The following principles can help schools be more effective in supporting digital literacies among students.

Created by the Center for Digital Thriving

1. Building Digital Agency: Schools need both policies to limit the distractions of cell phones and digital media literacy lessons that equip students with the knowledge and skills to navigate technology responsibly.

2. Be a Coach, Not a Referee: Rather than acting as referees who only enforce rules and consequences, adults can serve as Coaches, guiding teens in a tech-filled world. Coaches support skill-building, collaborate with youth to navigate challenges, and use mistakes as learning opportunities. This approach fosters accountability, resilience, and a path forward for growth.

3. Ask Instead of Assume: Adults often make assumptions about teens’ technology use, leading to misguided advice and interventions that don’t resonate. These assumptions can unintentionally alienate youth, blocking open communication. By asking questions and approaching with curiosity, adults can gain a deeper understanding, fostering empathy and providing support that truly aligns with the experiences of young people. This approach enables adults to provide guidance that is constructive, tailored, and empowering.

KEY MESSAGES

For schools unable to implement a full curriculum, focusing on four key teaching areas can still make a significant impact. Understanding these lessons will help students navigate technology thoughtfully, prioritize digital well-being, critically engage with information, and understand the real-world impact of their online behavior.

Created by the Center for Digital Thriving

Key Message 1: Technology is designed, and design isn’t neutral.

Students start to understand systemic forces that shape the tech they use.

Lesson topics and themes:

Business Model of Tech & Social Media: Understand the “attention economy”—how tech and social media companies gather data to predict and influence behavior, profiting from time spent on apps.
Persuasive Design: Explore how the design of social media apps aims to keep users engaged, boosting ad revenue and profit.
Generative AI: Learn what generative AI is, how it functions, its potential uses, and limitations.
Bias in Tech & AI: Discuss the implications of bias in AI systems, such as algorithmically generated content and advertising
Mutual Influence: Reflect on how people shape technology and, in turn, how technology shapes people.

Key Message 2: Information varies in its quality and purpose.

Students develop literacy skills that help them engage critically with information.

Lesson topics and themes:

Digital Media Literacy Skills: Practice evaluating sources, assessing credibility, and recognizing bias.
Misinformation & Disinformation: Cultivate awareness of the effects of misinformation and disinformation.
Algorithmic Literacy: Understand how algorithms shape the information we see, influence digital experiences, and impact our choices.
Origins of Information: Consider where information comes from, including the ethical implications of human- and AI-generated content.
Digital Justice: Attend to evolving digital divides in access, information literacy, and digital literacy as justice issues.

Key Message 3: Digital well-being is essential to well-being.

Students believe that tech habits impact their mental and physical health, and they can use tech with care.

Lesson topics and themes:

Impact of Content on Well-Being: Reflect on how different types of screen time affect mood and well-being, identifying supportive vs. harmful content.
Mental Health and Social Media: Discuss known links between problematic social media use and mental health challenges.
Positive Tech Use: Encourage intentional tech use to foster social connection, mood, interests, learning, and civic engagement.
Adaptive Coping Skills: Acknowledge tech challenges like persuasive design, social comparison, and multitasking, and develop strategies to help students manage overuse and negative impacts for well-being.
Recovering from Digital Missteps: Explore constructive ways to handle online mistakes.
Social Norms and Tech Use: Reevaluate norms around tech use in various settings, from school to home and community.

Key Message 4: Tech is powerful, but we are not powerless.

Students understand the power of their digital posts and how they can impact others, their communities, and the wider world.

Lesson topics and themes:

Building Online Norms: Collaborate to establish norms for respectful online behavior and respond to violations constructively.
Device Use Norms: Discuss appropriate tech use across various social and community settings.
Safety and Harms: Address issues like cyberbullying, sexting, and online harassment, emphasizing their real-world impacts.
Digital Drama and Disinhibition: Recognize the effects of online behavior, including the concept of online disinhibition.
Consent in a Digital World: Understand consent regarding sharing images, privacy, and personal boundaries.
Tech and Marginalized Identities: Consider how technology uniquely affects historically marginalized communities and how these impacts evolve.

FULL CURRICULUM OPTIONS

Recommended Grade Levels	Focus Areas	Cost
Grades 7-12	Self-reflection on social media use Recognizing social media harms Understanding the business model of social media companies Identifying cognitive biases Encouraging journaling and storytelling	Free

Recommended Grade Levels	Focus Areas	Cost
Grades K-12 (especially good for K-8)	Encouraging healthy tech behaviors Recognizing when to take breaks from technology Understanding the effects of social media on the brain Identifying attention-grabbing design tricks used in technology	Free

Recommended Grade Levels	Focus Areas	Cost
Grades K-8	Developing social-emotional skills for responsible device use Teaching ethical and productive social media use Assessing readiness for social media accounts Understanding digital citizenship, information literacy, and digital media literacy Discussing the harms of social media on the brain	Varies by school

Recommended Grade Levels	Focus Areas	Cost
Grades K-12	Analyzing social media posts and articles Encouraging critical thinking about media credibility Developing skills to evaluate trustworthy media sources	Free