Social Studies

<h2 class="ckHeading2Sans" style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h2><h2 class="ckHeading2Sans" style="text-align:center;">If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the following organizations.</h2>&nbsp;988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline&nbsp;- Call or text 988 to reach the 24/7 helplineAlliance for Eating Disorders – Call 1-866-1235 or <a href="https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/">www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com</a>Sexual Assault/Violence – Call &nbsp;the 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)&nbsp;Mental Health Crisis – Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or <a href="https://www.nami.org/support-education/nami-helpline/">www.nami.org/help</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Introducing Teacher and Parents Resources to Complement FX's&nbsp;Social StudiesThe Annenberg Foundation and Annenberg Learner have teamed up with Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker/photographer Lauren Greenfield—and Newton North Digital Literacy Coordinator Rob Greenfield—to offer supporting curricula to Social Studies, a documentary series that delves into the lives of the first generation raised on social media.&nbsp;&nbsp;This Educational Curriculum was made possible with the generous support of the Annenberg Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our students are dealing with many challenges throughout high school, many of which are directly affected by technology and social media. Students have much to say and teach us about growing up with social media and technology. By giving students space to discuss complicated issues, both good and bad, that center around social media, we can help students handle and overcome the challenges that come with navigating the digital components of a contemporary childhood.&nbsp;

Throughout Social Studies, a diverse group of students confronts many challenges that teenagers everywhere are dealing with in some capacity. Often these challenges are exacerbated by smartphones and social media. Some of these concepts are threaded throughout the entirety of the five episodes, while some are touched upon briefly by some of the students in particular episodes. Below is a list of the concepts woven throughout Social Studies that will include some lessons, smaller activities, or resources as they relate to technology and social media.&nbsp;These resources are designed for teacher flexibility. They can be used as full lessons for individual or multiple blocks (depending on the block schedules for teachers), excerpted for mini-lessons, used as a foundation for creating new lessons, or used as homework assignments in some cases. You know your students best, and you can use whole or parts of lessons or resources to design lessons or activities in whatever way is best for you, your students, and your classes.&nbsp;

Many of these resources call for small and large group discussions. In Social Studies, group discussions yielded helpful support to the students who participated in them. When conducting discussions in your classes, due to the sensitive nature of some of these topics, it is best to reiterate what you have already established throughout the school year so far: group norms for healthy discussions. As you know, students will have a range of opinions on these topics, and the more we hear from them, the more our collective understanding of the impact of these technologies can be understood. Creating a comfort level with sharing by limiting fear of judgment will be essential for maximizing the productiveness of these discussions.&nbsp;

The list of topics that are woven throughout Social Studies is below, and can be accessed on Annenberg Learner by clicking on the button below. They can be used in middle and high school settings, and are primarily tailored to high school students. Within each one of these topics, there will be either lessons, mini-lessons, or resources that can be used in any of the ways described above.&nbsp;Technology and our Minds Social Comparison and FOMO Social Media and Relationships Social Approval and Feedback Loops Social Justice and identify Affirmation Conspiracy Theories and Disinformation Cancel culture Fame and Social Media Attention&nbsp; Privacy Materialism Body Image

Annenberg Learner funds and distributes educational video programs – with coordinated online and print materials – for the professional development of K-12 teachers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;As parents, it can be difficult to judge when to give our children independence and when to jump in to help them. The integration of social media into childhood has created a whole new set of challenges for parents. When do we allow them to get social media? How do we know they are using social media in a way that is healthy? How do I know if my kid is struggling?&nbsp;The formative years of their lives in adolescence are important to psychological and social development, and smartphones have complicated these stages of life. Kids are now split between the physical and the digital, with tweens (ages 8-12) spending more than five hours per day on screens and teenagers spending more than eight hours per day on screens as of 2021, according to Common Sense Media. Parents are sometimes at a loss as to how to guide their kids in the digital world, especially when kids are engaging with platforms that we are unfamiliar with. However, parents are in the best position to help their kids with the struggles of preadolescence and adolescence, even if kids’ childhoods are somewhat different than the ones parents were familiar with. Engaging with kids in conversations about their experiences in their real and digital worlds is the first step.&nbsp;Watching Social Studies can be a critical entry point into these difficult conversations. As parents, it can be a challenge to start conversations with our kids about sensitive topics. Leading with interest, empathy, and questions is a good way to begin. In Social Studies, kids are dealing with a childhood thoroughly integrated with technology and are facing all sorts of academic, social, and psychological challenges, with many struggling to make their way through their digital worlds.&nbsp;Below are some resources for parents listed by topic to help initiate conversations with kids surrounding digital media and some of the most sensitive issues kids might encounter in their formative years. In each one of these topics you’ll find what the kids in Social Studies said about these topics, some guiding questions that you can use in conversations with your own kids, and additional resources to assist in helping kids deal with tough personal challenges. Click on the button below to access these topics at Annenberg Learner. Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation Sexualization of Women and Girls Cyberbullying and Harassment Screen Immersion and Addiction&nbsp; Drug Overdosing and Addiction Racism in Predominantly White Schools: IRL and Social Media Eating Disorders and Social Media Pornography and Social Media Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Consent Academic Pressures and Comparisons LGBTQIA Identity Affirmation

Additional Resources for Teens, Parents, Teachers and International viewers

The producers of Social Studies have pulled together additional resources for those looking for more information in relation to Teens and Social Media.

Resource page for Teachers and Parents regarding the challenges teenagers face that are exacerbated by smartphones and social media. 

Resources | FX's Social Studies

Social Studies

Social Studies Resources

Teacher Resources

Resources

Group Discussions

Topics

Parent Resources

Additional Resources for Teens, Parents, Teachers and International viewers