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Future Lab

Social Media and Mental Health

Unit 2, Lessons 4–6

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From Data to Insights

Surveys, Media, Analysis, and Interviews

LESSON 4

Understanding the true impact of social media requires more than just reading articles and analyzing studies—it’s about listening directly to the people who live with these experiences every day. In this lesson, you’ll become both a researcher and an investigator, gathering real-world input from your peers and examining how social media platforms shape narratives, trends, and opinions. By collecting survey responses, comparing platform content, and beginning to map your audience’s experiences, you’ll gain valuable insights that will help your team refine your project focus. This hands-on research will ensure your final project is grounded in authentic voices, experiences, and evidence—helping you design solutions that truly matter. Let’s dive in and see what we can uncover together.

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Why is it important to hear directly from the people affected by a problem, rather than relying only on existing research?

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Objectives:

New! Adaptability
New! Curiosity

Word Wall

Skills for the Future

Project Wall

Convergent thinking
Divergent thinking
Ideation
Insight
Problem statement
Synthesis
User-centered design

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Record your response here…

List your survey questions here.

Crafting Questions That Matter

Record your response here…

As a team how are you going to gather survey responses?

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Write a one-paragraph summary of your survey insights, addressing the following:

Key Findings (e.g., “Most students spend an average of 4+ hours on social media daily.”)
Unexpected Results (e.g., “Surprisingly, 60% of respondents say social media has improved their mental health rather than harmed it.”)
Implications for Research (e.g., “Our team originally assumed social media was mostly harmful, but these responses suggest a more nuanced perspective.”)
Next Steps (e.g., “We need to conduct interviews to better understand how students define ‘positive’ vs. ‘negative’ experiences on social media.”)

From Data to Direction

Record your response here…

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Platform 1	Platform 2

Compare how your topic is discussed on two platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.).

Think about:

Messaging and tone
Visuals and formats
Engagement strategies
Audience reactions

How Is Your Topic Trending?

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Upload a screenshot of your team brainstorming below.

Capture Insights

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Key Takeaways: What are the two biggest insights from our research so far?

Surprising Findings: Did anything challenge or change our perspective?

Next Steps: What additional questions do we need to answer before moving forward?

Project Relevance: How do these insights inform our approach to solving the problem?

Reflection

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Simple Strategies for Turning Data into Insights

Turning Data Into Insight

What’s the difference between raw data and an insight?
How can talking to real people, our target audience, help us uncover the real root problem we need to solve?
What’s one key insight your team has uncovered so far from your user research (surveys, interviews, and media analysis)?
What is one gap or unanswered question your team still has about your topic?

Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

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Define the Problem

Ideate Solutions

LESSON 5

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can we use research, empathy, and design thinking to define the root causes of social media challenges and develop innovative, equitable solutions that meet the needs of diverse communities?

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Objectives:

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Objectives:

Project Wall

Word Wall

New! Decision Making

New! Growth Mindset

Inquiry
Bias
Feasibility
Pitch

Skills for the Future

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What is one powerful insight your team uncovered in Lesson 4 about how social media impacts people?
What’s one question you still have or a perspective you feel is missing?
Based on your response to the previous question, what kind of change or improvement feels most urgent or important?
How might your insights influence the direction of your team’s solution?

Insights That Shape Solution

Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

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What are your two key takeaways from your article/video/infographic?

Summarize your findings:

Expert Group Work: Share and Synthesize

Record your response here…

Use the following as guiding questions to prompt your thinking:

What is the problem?
Who is affected, and how?
What are some potential consequences?

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Write down one key fact from your teammates.

What Did You Learn? Tell Your Crew!

Record your response here…

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From Problem to Purpose

Break your problem down into three parts.

Solve This Problem

What’s the specific issue your team is working on?
Be clear and focused so your solution stays on track.

For This Group

Who is most affected by this issue?
Are you focusing on teens, parents, teachers, or another group?
Who will benefit from your solution?

To Achieve This Goal

What’s the positive change you want to see?
Think about real impact, like improving mental health, increasing privacy, or reducing harmful content.

Let’s break it down:

[Solve this problem]: This part should clearly state the issue you're focusing on. What exactly is the problem you are addressing? It needs to be specific enough so you can focus your efforts.
[This group]: Who is most affected by this problem? Are you focusing on teenagers, parents, educators, or another specific group? You need to think about who faces the consequences of this problem and who would benefit from your solution.
[Achieve this goal]: This part should describe what you hope to achieve by solving the problem. What positive impact do you want to see? It could be an improvement in mental health, more privacy protection, or any positive outcome that addresses the problem.

Team Discussion: Breaking it down

Draft at least two problem statements in your Student Portfolio.
Exchange statements with another group for critique.
Revise and finalize one strong problem statement and add it to their student portfolio.

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Using the formula develop your problem statement “How might we [solve this problem] for [this group] in order to [achieve this goal]?”

Draft two problem statements.

Craft a Strong Problem Statement

Record your response here…

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Swap and Strengthen

Revise and finalize your problem statement.

Record your response here…

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How to be Creative Under Pressure?

Idea Sprint: What Could Work?

Generate five possible solutions. Examples:

A browser extension that flags edited images
A student-led workshop on digital well-being
A TikTok challenge promoting real vs. edited images

Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

Idea Sprint: What Could Work

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Rank and Choose Your Best Solution

Not all ideas are created equal. Now, it’s time to decide which one is worth developing!

In your student portfolio, rank your top five solutions. Use these questions to guide your thinking:

Feasibility: Can we realistically build or launch it?
Impact: Will it make a real difference for our audience?
Engagement: Will people actually use or connect with it?

Solution	Feasibility	Impact	Engagement
1	(high, medium, low)	(high, medium, low)	(high, medium, low)
2
3
4
5

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Rank and Choose Your Best Solution

My team’s final solution is…

Record your response here…

Pitch Your Idea in One Powerful Sentence

My team’s pitch sentence is…

Record your response here…

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What part of your pitch are you most proud of, and why?
What’s one piece of feedback (from your team or the class) that you want to explore further?
How could you improve or strengthen your solution before moving forward?
What next step does your team need to take to bring your idea closer to reality?

Reflect On Your Pitch

Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

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From Data to Insights

Surveys, Media, Analysis, and Interviews

LESSON 6

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How can we use our creativity, collaboration, and audience awareness to design a solution format that transforms our ideas into meaningful change?

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can we use our creativity, collaboration, and audience awareness to design a solution format that transforms our ideas into meaningful change?

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Objectives:

Project Wall

Word Wall

Storyboarding
User Feedback
Audience Engagement
Design Constraints
Call to Action (CTA)

Skills for the Future

New! Perseverance
New! Reasoning

Project Wall

Word Wall

New! Perseverance

New! Reasoning

Storyboarding
User feedback
Audience engagement
Design constraints
Call to action (CTA)

Skills for the Future

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While watching the video, respond to these prompts:

Why is prototyping important in the design process?
Can you think of an example in your own life when iteration helped improve a project or idea?

The Iterative Design Process Explained

Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

The Power of Prototyping

Idea Sprint: What Could Work?

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Real-World Examples:

As you explore the examples, think about what excites you and what you’re great at.�Jot down your thoughts.

Which formats do you find inspiring or interesting?
What kinds of projects do you enjoy working on?
What tools or media do you feel confident using?

Designing the Right Solution

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What are our team’s creative strengths?	What formats allow us to showcase those strengths?	What format would be most engaging to our audience?	What are we excited to build or try?
E.g., video editing, writing, graphic design, coding, storytelling, public speaking

Brainstorm and respond as a team:

Team Talent Match Up

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Solution	Audience Reach	Engagement	Feasibility	Excitement	Total
Infographic (sample)
Social Media Campaign (sample)
Website (sample)

Find Your Best Fit

Pick two or three solution ideas (samples listed in graph below).
Rate each idea on a scale of 1–3 (1 = low, 3 = high). Use your research and feedback to guide your decision!
Criteria to consider: audience reach, engagement, excitement, and feasibility

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Claim It and Explain It

Finalize your choice and document it:

“Our team chose to create a ________ because it allows us to reach [audience] with [message] in a way that is [engaging/creative/feasible]. I’m excited about this format because _______. One challenge I think we might face is _______.”

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Storyboarding:�Mapping Out the Message

�Storyboard Examples:

Storyboard Examples: studiobinder
Storyboard That: PSA Examples
Social Interactions: Storyboards and Wireflows for Team Refresh
Infographics: How to Write an Infographic Story in 5 Simple Steps

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Sketch Your Idea

Focus on:

What’s the main message in each part?
What visuals and text will you include?
What action should the audience take?

Panel 1: Introduction: Define the problem and target audience.	Panel 2: Key Message: How will you grab attention?	Panel 3: Presenting the Challenge: Show the problem’s impact.	Panel 4: Proposed Solution: Explain how your ideas solve the issue.	Panel 5: Call to Action: What should the audience do next?

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Upload a screenshot of your storyboard below.

Capture Insights

One strength of our storyboard is…

One change we plan to make is…

Record your response here…

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Record your response here…

If you have access to a video recording app (e.g., Adobe Express for Education, Canva for Education, Loom for Education, or Screencastify) consider capturing your reflection in video and uploading it here.

What is one thing your team did well during planning today?
What question do you still have about your prototype?
What is your first step next class when you begin building?

Think Back, Look Ahead

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Sandbox

Use the following slides to document your prototyping process. Add a new title for each slide to indicate the step of the process you are building.

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Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to indicate the step of the process you are building.

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Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to indicate the step of the process you are building.

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Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to indicate the step of the process you are building.

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Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to indicate the step of the process you are building.