The Serious Chat - Social Media (KS3-5)
60-minute high quality, detailed & flexible workshops or assemblies.
Performed to students in small or large groups.
May suit carousel days or one-off visits. Available throughout the year.
How do the sessions run?
Our workshops are performed by 3 professional actors.
We start by breaking down what we are covering in the sessions: we explore the definitions, clarify facts and any laws surrounding the topic, and invite the students to answer questions and get involved.
The students are then shown scenes with characters in everyday, relatable situations.
We use elements of Augusto Boal's 'Forum Theatre: following scenes which see young characters with conflicting objectives, we freeze the action and split the audience into groups; the students are invited to advise the characters about what to do next. This is designed to allow students to articulate opinions and feelings in a safe, objective environment.
What We Cover
How social media can impact mental health including unrealistic expectations, comparisons & time management. We also cover risks including cyberbullying, scams and exploitation, as well as exploring positive ways to use social media and how to be good online citizens.
Our Social Media workshop explores issues included in the PSHE Suggested Programme of Study (Core Theme 1 – Health and Well-being and Core Theme 2 - Relationships).
We take a focused look at myths & facts surrounding cyberbullying via social media.
The students are invited to offer advice to a series of characters, including what they can do to take care of their mental health & how to stay safe on social media.
We conclude by outlining help and resources available.
We're more than happy to tailor the workshop upon request to focus on any issues you feel are particularly relevant to your students.
Included with the workshop
Teacher's further work pack
Why is it so important to discuss Social Media with young people?
National Institute of Health stats show that up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform & figures showed that in 2024, children in the UK spent a daily average of five hours and 36 minutes on the internet, almost three hours on a laptop, and around two hours on social media.
The Office for National Statistics found that 19.1% of children aged 10 to 15 in England experienced online bullying in the year ending March 2023, but worrying NHS data (2023) reported that only 5% of 11-16 year olds reported cyberbullying.