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Grade 8

Social Media and Digital Footprints: Our Responsibilities

How does using social media affect our digital footprints?
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Teen Voices: Oversharing and Your Digital Footprint
Student Video 3:19

Social media can be a place to connect, learn, and, most of all, share. But how much do kids know about what they're sharing -- and not just about themselves but each other? Help students think critically about their digital footprints on social media.

Students will be able to:
  • Identify reasons for using social media and the challenges that often come along with it.
  • Reflect on the responsibilities they have that are related to digital footprints -- both their own and others' -- when they're using social media.
  • Identify ways to make the most of social media while still caring for the digital footprints of themselves and others.
Key Vocabulary: digital footprint  ·  oversharing
digital footprint:
all of the information online about a person, either posted by that person or others, intentionally or unintentionally
oversharing:
sharing personal feelings, information, or experiences that later make someone feel uncomfortable or regretful
Digital Footprint & Identity
This lesson meets standards for Common Core ELA, CASEL, AASL, and ISTE. See standards
Don’t have time for a full lesson?
15 mins.
Use this quick activity to engage students around key learning outcomes.  Get the quick activity

Lesson Plan

50 mins.
Extension Activity:

Have students apply what they have learned by completing the "Shaping Your Digital Footprint" Activity on TestDrive, a social media simulator. Students go through a self-guided activity to reinforce key concepts and practice creating a positive digital footprint. For more information, download the Social Media TestDrive Educator Guide.

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Lesson last updated: July 2020
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