1 of 36

AVID Future Lab

Social Media and Mental Health

Unit 1, Lessons 1–3

2 of 36

Digital Mirror:

How Social Media Shapes Our Reflection

LESSON 1

Consider the last time you scrolled through social media—did it leave you feeling inspired, connected, or perhaps a bit insecure? Social media is a powerful tool that shapes our self-perception and influences our emotions, perceptions, and behaviors. While it can foster connection and creativity, research indicates it may also contribute to mental health challenges. For instance, a study highlighted by Yale Medicine notes that adolescents spending over three hours daily on social media face twice the risk of experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms (Yale Medicine, 2024). Additionally, a Pew Research Center survey revealed that 43% of teens feel pressure to post content that makes them look good to others, underscoring the impact of comparison culture (Pew Research Center, 2018).

In this lesson, we’ll explore social media’s complex impact on mental health using Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking, two creative problem-solving approaches. You’ll examine key themes like self-esteem, comparison culture, and misinformation, while also recognizing the positive aspects of social media, such as advocacy and community-building. By the end, you’ll have a deeper understanding of social media’s influence and a plan to turn your insights into action. Let’s jump in!

3 of 36

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How does social media shape identity and mental health?

4 of 36

Student Portfolio

Reflect

Project Development

Track Your Learning

5 of 36

Objectives:

Project Wall

Skills for the Future

Empathy
Critical Thinking
Collaboration
Communication

Word Wall

Social Media Algorithms
Misinformation
Digital Well-Being
Quantitative
Qualitative

Project Wall

Empathy
Critical Thinking
Collaboration
Communication

Social media algorithms
Misinformation
Digital well-being
Quantitative
Qualitative

Word Wall

Skills for the Future

6 of 36

ETS Skills for the Future

Figure 1. SFF Components Classified According to Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Domains

7 of 36

How has social media impacted the way you see yourself or others?

Social Media and Me

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.

8 of 36

Project Based Learning: Explained.

The Design Thinking Process

Prompts:	Record your thinking:
What stood out to you about PBL and design thinking?
How do these methods help us tackle real-world problems?
How do empathy, creativity, and iteration play a role in designing solutions?

Project Based-Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking

9 of 36

What skills do you think will be most important for this project?

ETS Skills for the Future

ETS: Skills for the Future

10 of 36

Trending or Toxic?

The Hidden Effects of Social Media

LESSON 2

11 of 36

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How does social media shape our self-perception, relationships, and understanding of the world, and how can we use it in a way that supports well-being and positive change?

12 of 36

Objectives:

Project Wall

New! Building Relationships

Collaboration

Communication

Problem definition
Inquire
Argumentation
Algorithm bias
Echo chambers
Disinformation
Engagement metrics

Word Wall

Skills for the Future

The Project Wall is a dynamic, evolving resource that supports students in mastering key vocabulary, concepts, and future-ready skills throughout the unit. Whether displayed physically in the classroom or virtually using tools like Padlet or Wakelet. The Word Wall reinforces academic language, encourages reflection, and helps students articulate their thinking with clarity. Reviewing the Word Wall regularly—either before each lesson or at the start of the week—promotes shared language, critical thinking, and effective collaboration.

This project also focuses on building "Skills for the Future," as identified by ETS, including communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability. These competencies are embedded in each lesson through activities like problem-solving and evidence-based design. By engaging with these real-world skills and regularly updating the Word Wall, students connect academic content with lifelong learning and career readiness. Definitions for new vocabulary will be added after each lesson to help the Word Wall grow intentionally over time.

13 of 36

Choose one question to respond to below:

What specific issue related to social media’s influence stands out to me?
How have I seen this issue play out in real life (personally, in my community, or online)?
Who is most affected by this issue, and why does it matter?
What makes this issue challenging to solve?

How has social media impacted the way you see yourself or others?

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.

Dig Into the Issue

14 of 36

Answergarden

Embed Answergarden

Reflection

Submit one or two words summarizing the most important takeaway from your discussion.

15 of 36

The Social Dilemma – Bonus Clip: The Discrimination Dilemma

Prompts	Record Your Thinking
What was the most eye-opening part of this clip?
Did anything feel eerily familiar? Have you noticed algorithms shaping your own experiences?
What are the possible consequences of these unseen forces?

The Social Dilemma

16 of 36

List Teammates
Team Role
Team Topic
Possible Project Idea
A Challenge You Will Need to Overcome

Building Your Team

17 of 36

What are some red flags that a source might not be trustworthy?
What’s one new tip you learned about evaluating sources?
How do algorithms or echo chambers make it harder to find balanced, credible information?
How will you make sure your project uses credible data and diverse perspectives?

Fact vs. Fiction

18 of 36

Viral or Valid

Researching the Influence of Social Media

LESSON 3

19 of 36

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How does social media shape our mental health, and what strategies can we use to navigate its impact?

20 of 36

text

Objectives:

Project Wall

Word Wall

Critical Thinking

New! Problem Solving

New! Digital Literacy

New! Empathy

Credible
Perspective
Synthesize
Problem framing

Skills for the Future

The Project Wall is a dynamic, evolving resource that supports students in mastering key vocabulary, concepts, and future-ready skills throughout the unit. Whether displayed physically in the classroom or virtually using tools like Padlet or Wakelet. The Word Wall reinforces academic language, encourages reflection, and helps students articulate their thinking with clarity. Reviewing the Word Wall regularly—either before each lesson or at the start of the week—promotes shared language, critical thinking, and effective collaboration.

This project also focuses on building "Skills for the Future," as identified by ETS, including communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability. These competencies are embedded in each lesson through activities like problem-solving and evidence-based design. By engaging with these real-world skills and regularly updating the Word Wall, students connect academic content with lifelong learning and career readiness. Definitions for new vocabulary will be added after each lesson to help the Word Wall grow intentionally over time.

21 of 36

Record questions below:

What is one thing you already know about social media’s impact, and what is one question you have about it?

Social Media’s Impact

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.

22 of 36

Record research questions below:

Start with a broad topic, then refine it using who, what, when, where, why, or how to help you create a more actionable question.

Research Questions

Record your response here…

23 of 36

What makes a source reliable?
How do we identify bias in a source?
Why is it important to use multiple sources rather than just one?

Record your response here…

Evaluating Sources for Reliability

24 of 36

Prompts for Internet Research:

What is the main argument or takeaway from this source?
How does this source connect to our research question?
Does this source confirm or challenge our prior understanding?

Suggested Research Sources

Common Sense Media
Pew Research Center
American Psychological Association (APA)
Government reports
University research (Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCOhost, academic studies)

Choose one research question as a team and conduct a keyword search using one of the provided sources.

Record your response here…

Conduct Internet Research

25 of 36

Record key takeaways (summary of the source, main argument, supporting evidence, etc.)

Beyond the Surface:

Analyze, Connect, Question

Prompts to support your research:

What is the main argument or takeaway from this source?
How does this source connect to our research question?
Does this source confirm or challenge our prior understanding?

26 of 36

Use school or local library databases (Gale, ProQuest, or EBSCOhost) to find one academic or news article. Discuss what you found with your team and answer the prompts below.

What patterns or themes are emerging in our research?
What gaps or unanswered questions still remain?
Which sources were most helpful, and why?

Record your response here…

Conduct Internet Research

27 of 36

Add at least one key finding and one remaining question you have to help guide your future research.

Reflection

One key finding….

One question you still have….

28 of 36

Framing the Problem

Framing the Right Problem: How Designers Ask Better Questions

What was the most important takeaway from the video?
How does problem framing apply to the way we research social media’s impact?

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.

29 of 36

Identify the End-User

Who will be impacted by your project?
What specific group, demographic, or persona represents your target audience?

Define Your Goal

What are you trying to do, solve, or achieve?

Record your response here…

Developing Your Empathy Map

Record your response here…

30 of 36

You will work in your project teams to fill in each quadrant of the map, thinking from the perspective of the end-user’s experience.

Work clockwise, starting at the top of the map with the external observations before moving into the internal thought process. additional prompts)

31 of 36

Upload an image of your empathy map.

What are two or three major insights about your end-user?
How does this information shape your project direction?

Place image of your empathy map here.

Capture Insight

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.

32 of 36

Write down one key insight from today’s research.

What is one question you still have about social media’s influence on mental health?
What is your team’s next step?

Reflection

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.

33 of 36

Sandbox

Use the following slides to document your research process.

34 of 36

Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to identify the topic and source of your research.

35 of 36

Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to identify the topic and source of your research.

36 of 36

Sandbox

Add a new title for each slide to identify the topic and source of your research.