Webinar recap: Navigating devious licks and other social media trends positively as a school community
Most social media trends are fun, creative ways for students to connect and socialize with their friends. However, every once in a while, a destructive trend goes viral — from “Devious Licks” encouraging school vandalism to the Whale Challenge promoting self-harm.
These trends will never completely go away, which leaves school leaders asking how to proactively help students make positive, high-character choices both online and offline — no matter which trend pops up next.
During our most recent webinar, attendees were able to experience an engaging lesson related to “Devious Licks,” co-created with students across the country, and experts from The Social Institute led a discussion on how to:
- Have open, ongoing communication with students about social media and technology
- Encourage students to play to their core when making decisions online and offline based on their character and values
You can watch the webinar here or continue reading about the essential takeaways below.
Why Social Skills Matter More than Ever
A 2018 study done by the Harvard School of Education found that 70% of students positively described their general social media experiences. It is clear that tech and social media are valuable for students and play an essential role in students’ lives. Social media allows students to develop soft skills online as they find community, connect with others, and feel empowered to use their voice. Encouraging students to navigate their social world positively is the first step to make a lasting change online.
92% of professionals say soft skills are equal to or more important than technical skills. Soft skills can be defined as “interpersonal skills used to describe your approach to life, work, and relationships with other people.”
“One way to help students to develop these soft skills,” says Andrea Jenkins, “is to give them opportunities to coach up, where students can look at an adult or older student’s social profile, analyze it and see what story the profile is trying to tell. Not only does this tactic help build communication and feedback skills, but it allows students to reflect on what their own profiles show.”
Right now, numerous schools are seeing an increase in students suffering from anxiety, cyber-bullying, and social pressures from all angles. Schools can tackle these challenges by empowering students to use social media in ways that reflect their character and value.
How to Empower Students Both Online and Offline
In August 2021, researchers announced the most extensive study yet on screen time and youth brain development. They found that the influence of on-screen time such as attention disorders, disrupted sleep, and lower grades accounted for 2% of the variation between children’s experiences.
CASEL Competencies provide a framework for schools to help students develop academically and socially, both in person and on screens. The research shows that teaching students five key social skills competencies will benefit them throughout their lives. These competencies are:
- Self-awareness
- Self- management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible decision making
For a complete breakdown of the CASEL framework, check out their research here.
How Students #WinAtSocial
Play To Your Core, one of the seven social standards at The Social Institute, encourages students to reflect on their values, character, and interests. Here at TSI, we provide a variety of different techniques to help students #WinAtSocial:
- One way students can proactively play to their core is to brainstorm positive role models with younger students. This exercise enables students to think about who is filling up their social feeds and what kind of influence that is having on their lives.
- Older students can self-monitor their own social accounts by reflecting on if their social profiles convey what they would want a college admissions officer or hiring manager to see.
- Students can also peer review one another’s social media profiles, give feedback, and provide adjectives about what they see represented on social media.
These exercises encourage students to really consider the image they are putting out into the world. Is it a positive one? Are they proud of it?
Experience #WinAtSocial
Current social trends, like “Devious Licks,” provide students and educators a relatable way to implement SEL and social media discussions within the classroom
Our latest LIVE Lesson is designed with “Devious Licks” in mind and empowers students to play to their core. No matter what social challenge or trend is going around, we want students and educators to feel prepared to navigate social media positively.
During this webinar, we took a peek at the LIVE Lesson, “Rising above harmful trends and representing something bigger than yourself.” Through thought-provoking questions and engaging discussion topics, the lesson challenges students to think about their own choices, what they want their online reputation to look like, and how each one of us has the power to positively represent something bigger than ourselves.
For a complete breakdown of how your school community can navigate social media trends positively, watch the entire webinar on-demand. For other helpful tips, strategies, and ideas, follow us on social media @thesocialinst or contact us.
You can also check out our other past recorded webinars and keep an eye on our regularly updated webinar schedule for upcoming timely webinars, featuring guest thought leaders and updated research and insights.