LESSON

Is It Just a Joke?

How can we make sure jokes don't hurt others?

Kids are constantly exposed to humor online, from memes to GIFs and YouTube videos. But what makes one person laugh might make another person feel hurt or excluded. This lesson helps students develop their "humor compass," meaning the ability to distinguish when online humor shifts from fun and playful to mean and hurtful. By analyzing scenarios from multiple perspectives and examining the common defense that it's "just a joke," students build crucial empathy skills for becoming upstanding digital citizens.

Objectives

Recognize how the same digital content can be interpreted differently by different people
Identify when online humor shifts from playful to potentially hurtful
See digital content from multiple perspectives to determine if it builds or harms friendships