Ages 10–12

Social Media Savvy

The middle years are when most kids get their first social media accounts. This course gives tweens the skills to navigate social platforms safely, spot manipulation, and build a positive digital reputation.

0 of 5 lessons complete

About this course

Social media can be a powerful tool for creativity, learning, and connection. But it also comes with unique risks that tweens need to understand. This course teaches critical thinking skills, helps kids recognize manipulation tactics, and shows them how to build a digital reputation they’ll be proud of in five years.

Lessons

  • The Algorithm Is Not Your Friend

    Every social media platform uses an algorithm — a set of computer rules — to decide what to show you. The algorithm’s only goal is to keep you scrolling, watching, and clicking for as long as possible. It learns what makes you angry, excited, or curious and shows you more of that. It doesn’t care if the content is true, kind, or good for you.

    Key Idea: If you’re not paying for the product, you ARE the product. Social media companies make money by selling your attention to advertisers. Every second you spend on the app is money in their pocket.

    The Attention Economy

    Your attention is the most valuable thing you own. Companies spend billions of dollars trying to capture it. Notifications, autoplay videos, infinite scroll, and “like” counts are all designed to keep you hooked. Understanding this is the first step to taking back control.

    Activity: Track Your Triggers

    For one day, keep a notebook nearby when you use social media. Every time you feel a strong emotion — excitement, anger, jealousy, FOMO (fear of missing out) — write down what post or notification caused it. At the end of the day, look at your list. What patterns do you notice?

    Ads, Sponsors, and Influencers

    Not everything that looks like a regular post is a regular post. Influencers are paid to promote products. Sponsored content is advertising disguised as entertainment. Learn to spot the difference between genuine recommendations and paid promotions.

  • The Internet Never Forgets

    You can delete a post, but you can’t un-post it. Screenshots exist. Archives exist. Data brokers collect and sell information. Colleges, employers, coaches, and scholarship committees search for your name online. What will they find?

    Key Idea: Before you post anything, ask yourself: Would I be comfortable with my grandmother, my principal, and a future employer all seeing this? If the answer is no, don’t post it.

    Building a Positive Digital Footprint

    Your digital footprint isn’t just about avoiding mistakes. It’s about actively building something you’re proud of. Share your art, your writing, your sports achievements, your volunteer work. The internet can be a portfolio of your best self.

    Activity: Google Yourself

    With a parent or guardian, search for your name online. What comes up? Is there anything you would want to change? Make a list of three positive things you would like people to find when they search for you in the future.

  • Red Flags of a Fake Account

    Fake accounts often have: no profile photo or a stolen photo, very few posts, a brand-new account, a username with random numbers, messages that feel too friendly too fast, and requests to move the conversation to a different app. Trust your gut — if something feels off, it probably is.

    Key Idea: A real friend never asks you to keep your friendship a secret from your parents. If someone online tells you “don’t tell your parents about me,” that’s the biggest red flag of all.

    Phishing — When Strangers Go Fishing for Your Info

    Phishing is when someone sends you a message that looks real but is designed to steal your passwords, your personal information, or your parents’ credit card numbers. It might look like an email from a game company, a message from a “friend,” or a too-good-to-be-true prize notification.

    Activity: Spot the Phish

    Review these three scenarios with a grown-up. Which ones are phishing attempts?

    1. An email from “Roblox Support” saying you won free Robux — just click the link and enter your password.

    2. A DM from a friend saying “check out this cool video of you” with a strange-looking link.

    3. A notification from the app you actually use, inside the app, about a new feature.

    Answers: 1 and 2 are phishing. Never click links in unexpected messages, even if they look like they’re from friends or companies you know.

  • The Group Chat Trap

    Group chats can be fun, but they can also turn toxic fast. Messages get misinterpreted. People get left out. Screenshots get shared. A joke among friends can become a weapon when it leaves the group. Assume anything you type in a group chat could be seen by anyone, anywhere.

    Key Idea: If a group chat is making you feel anxious, excluded, or pressured to say things you’re not comfortable with, you have the right to leave. A real friend will understand.

    The Comparison Trap

    Social media is a highlight reel, not real life. People post their best moments — vacations, parties, achievements — and hide the ordinary, boring, or difficult parts. Comparing your everyday life to someone else’s curated feed is a recipe for feeling bad about yourself.

  • The Four-Step Response

    If you’re being bullied online: (1) Don’t retaliate — responding with anger usually makes it worse. (2) Save the evidence — take screenshots of everything. (3) Block the person and report them to the platform. (4) Tell a trusted adult — a parent, teacher, coach, or school counselor. You don’t have to handle this alone.

    Key Idea: Telling an adult about cyberbullying is not “snitching” or “tattling.” It’s protecting yourself and potentially protecting others. Bullies count on your silence.

    Being an Ally Without Being a Target

    If you see someone else being bullied online: send them a private message of support, refuse to share or like the mean content, report the bullying to the platform, and tell a trusted adult. Don’t jump into a public fight — that can make you a target too and often escalates the situation.