Media Literacy Curriculum

Cyberbullying is an extraordinarily important issue today. As children spend more time online, they're also exposed to a variety of social interactions that are often invisible to the adults in their lives. Cyberbullying can claim lives if it's not addressed, and children need to understand the gravity of it, as well as what to do when they encounter it. A media literacy curriculum can help.

Discuss Cyberbullying Openly

Media literacy lesson plans will discuss cyberbullying and what it means. What are the consequences of cyberbullying? What happens to someone who is cyber bullied? Why might someone else become a bully? It should be acknowledged that anyone can become a bully, and that they may not realize that they are being a bully until much later.

Give Realistic Options

What should someone do if they are being cyberbullied? Emphasize the importance of talking to an adult. While the adult may not be able to make everything better, they can give them the tools they need to address what they're feeling. Children should be encouraged to think about how they feel and to understand that bullying doesn't mean anything about themselves, but rather about the other person.

Teach Them How to Interact

Full media literacy lesson plans will also teach children the polite ways to interact with each other. It's easy for children to end up accidentally bullying each other because they really don't understand the full weight of their words. Because people aren't seeing the person on the other side of the screen, they can say things that are rude or harsh without realizing it. This is true even for those who are adults.

A solid media literacy curriculum can address the impact of cyberbullying and the ways in which cyberbullying can be spread. For more information, contact Cyber Civics.