04. Is social media addiction a growing concern?

Objectives

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• Develop critical thinking about social media use
• Enhance debate, argumentation, and case-building skills
• Improve research and information synthesis abilities
• Practice public speaking and active listening
• Expand vocabulary related to social media and addiction

1. Warm-up & Introduction (10 minutes)

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• Briefly introduce the topic: social media addiction and why it matters today
• Explain the World Schools (WS) debate format in a simplified way (roles, timing, affirmative vs. negative)
• Present the core motion for the debate:
  This House believes that social media addiction is a growing societal problem.

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2. Guided Discussion: Social Media Use (10 minutes)

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Whole-class discussion led by the teacher. Suggested questions:

• Which social media platforms do you use most often?
• How much time do you think you spend on social media per day?
• What do you mostly use social media for (communication, entertainment, information, validation)?
• What are the positive effects of social media?
• When does usage become a problem?

(Teacher briefly maps key points on the board.)

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3. Brainstorming Motions & Case Ideas (15 minutes)

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Step 1: Brainstorming (5 minutes)

• In small groups, students brainstorm arguments for and against the idea that social media addiction is a serious problem.
• Prompt them to think about:
  
  • Mental health
  • Education and productivity
  • Social relationships
  • Personal responsibility vs. platform responsibility

Step 2: Case Building (10 minutes)

• Divide students into Affirmative and Negative teams
• Each team builds a simple case:
  
  • Definition of social media addiction
  • 2 main arguments
  • Examples or evidence
  • Expected arguments from the other side

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4. Research & Preparation (15 minutes)

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• Students may use phones/tablets to find:
  
  • Statistics
  • Expert opinions
  • Real-life examples
• Teams finalize their case and assign speaker roles:
  
  • 1st speaker: definition and main argument
  • 2nd speaker: additional argument and rebuttal

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5. Mini World Schools Debate (25 minutes)

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Debate Structure:

• 1st Affirmative Speaker – 3 minutes
• 1st Negative Speaker – 3 minutes
• 2nd Affirmative Speaker – 3 minutes
• 2nd Negative Speaker – 3 minutes
• 3rd Affirmative Speaker – 3 minutes
• 3rd Negative Speaker – 3 minutes
• Short Open Floor / Audience Questions – 7 minutes

(Teacher moderates time and ensures respectful debate.)

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6. Debrief & Reflection (10 minutes)

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• Class discussion:
  
  • Which arguments were most persuasive and why?
  • What was difficult about defending your side?
  • Did any argument change your opinion?
• Short written reflection (optional):
  
  • One thing you learned
  • One skill you practiced

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7. Closing (5 minutes)

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• Powerful quote for reflection:
  "Social media is the crack cocaine of the digital world." – Simon Mainwaring
• Thought-provoking question:
  "Are you using your device, or is your device using you?" – Denzel Washington

Encourage students to observe their own social media habits over the next few days.

Evaluation (Optional)

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• Participation in discussion and debate
• Quality of arguments and rebuttals
• Respectful listening and teamwork
• Reflection sheet responses

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Tips and tricks

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‍Encourage students to use specific examples and statistics to support their arguments and to make us of the given handouts