Choosing what deserves your attention

Learning intention By the end of this lesson, students can use three questions to decide whether online content deserves trust, needs checking or can be left behind.

Time: 42 minutes
How the room works: Groups of four or five
You need: Fictional online items on slips or a screen; paper and pens
Opens with: Where the scroll left you

Before you start

Keep all items fictional and do not ask students to show feeds, searches or messages. If harmful content, exploitation or targeted abuse is disclosed, respond privately and follow the setting's digital safeguarding procedures.

Read the full safeguarding note Adapting it for your class A note home for this lesson

A phone lying beside a notebook headed 'My phone', with pens and headphones — Illustration by RecipesforWellbeing.org, CC BY-NC 4.0

Why this matters

Online content arrives quickly and often asks for an immediate reaction. Discernment gives us a pause in which to consider who made something, what it is asking from us and whether the information is reliable. We are aiming for thoughtful engagement, and we do not need to suspect everything we see.

Skill in context Discerning what in the digital world supports your values and wellbeing so that you can engage more consciously.

On the skill of digital agency Try the interactive practice

1

Open with “Where the scroll left you”

5 min

Use Where the scroll left you as a private recollection. Students can think about any recent online experience and do not need to name the platform or content.

Read aloud

Think back to a recent time online without opening a device or revisiting what you saw.

Find one private word for how the experience left you, such as connected, interested, tired, flat, unsettled or fine.

Let that word be information rather than a verdict on what you should do next.

Bring your attention back to the room and keep any details to yourself.

Listen for Do not predict a shared mood or treat a particular word as evidence of healthy or unhealthy use. Some students may choose not to recall an online experience.

2

Teacher explanation

10 min

Digital discernment is the ability to decide what deserves our trust and attention. It is useful because online content can mix information, entertainment, persuasion and advertising in the same space.

Three questions can create a pause: Who made this and what do they want? What effect is it having on me? What evidence would help me decide whether it is accurate? Feelings are useful information about impact, but they do not prove whether a claim is true.

Questions for the room

What techniques make a post, video or headline feel urgent?
How can useful content and persuasive content look similar?
Why might discernment be harder when someone is tired, lonely, angry or frightened?

3

Use the filter

18 min

Introduce three possible responses: trust for now, pause and check, or let go.
Display the three questions about source and motive, personal impact, and supporting evidence. Model them with one fictional attention-grabbing headline.
Give each group six made-up items, such as an unsourced breaking claim, a quiz collecting data, an advert presented as advice, a viral dare, a chain message asking to be forwarded and a clear guide from a checkable source.
Ask groups to sort each item and record what evidence shaped the decision. Several placements may be reasonable if the explanation is sound.
Each group chooses its hardest item and names what more it would need to know.
Gather patterns and emphasise that discernment includes updating a decision when better information appears.

4

Private reflection

6 min

Which of the three questions would be most useful to keep nearby the next time something online feels urgent, persuasive or difficult to place?

How they reflect Private journal

5

Closing

3 min

You do not need to trust everything or reject everything. You can pause and give your attention where the evidence and your values meet.

Safeguarding

Keep all items fictional and do not ask students to show feeds, searches or messages. If harmful content, exploitation or targeted abuse is disclosed, respond privately and follow the setting's digital safeguarding procedures.

If something a young person says gives you concern, follow your setting’s usual safeguarding route. This is not yours to carry alone.

Adapting it

Ages 13 to 15: Use four familiar examples, keep the questions visible and model the first decision. Include games, quizzes, chain messages and viral challenges.
Ages 16 to 18: Include sponsored posts, AI-generated media, rapidly changing news and algorithmic recommendations. Discuss how platform design shapes what appears for judgement.

In other settings

Form time: Use the private check-in, then apply the three questions to one fictional headline as a group.
Assembly: Walk through two fictional items from the front and allow the audience to choose trust, pause or let go without personal disclosure.
Small group: Sort several examples together and focus on what additional information would change each decision.

Curriculum connections

Australia, Personal and Social Capability: Social management: decision-makingChecked by AI review against Australian Curriculum Version 9.0, General capabilities: Personal and Social capability, its elements and sub-elements on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
Brazil, BNCC: Digital culture (GC 5) — accessing information critically; Argumentation (GC 7) — relying on facts, data and trustworthy informationNot yet checked against its source.
Canada, BC Core Competencies: Critical and Reflective Thinking — analyzing and critiquing; Communicating — acquiring and presenting informationNot yet checked against its source.
Canada, Ontario HPE: Critical and creative thinking — analysing and evaluating information (1.5); Interpersonal skills — analysing messages (1.3) · Gr 7–8: A1.6Not yet checked against its source.
Chile, Orientación: Wellbeing and self-care — identifying risk situations, such as viral dares, and strategies to face them (OA 3)Not yet checked against its source.
England, PSHE: Living in the wider world: media literacy and digital resilience (KS3 L23, L25, L26, KS4 L27)Checked by AI review against the PSHE Association's Programme of Study for PSHE education, Key stages 1 to 5, 2020 wording (read from a school-hosted copy, 2023/24) on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
England, RSHE: Wellbeing online: a discerning consumer of information, misinformation and disinformation (statement 5); Online safety and awareness: content created with AI, and deepfakes (statements 3, 7)Checked by AI review against the DfE's Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education guidance in force from 1 September 2026 on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
Finland, Transversal competences: L4 Multiliteracy — analytical and critical media literacy; L5 ICT competence — source criticismNot yet checked against its source.
Ghana, Core competencies: Digital Literacy — acquiring information and using digital media responsibly; Core value — truth and integrityNot yet checked against its source.
Hong Kong, Values Education: Media and information literacy education — verifying online and AI-generated information before sharing (S4–S6); Integrity (誠信)Not yet checked against its source.
India, NEP: Scientific temper and evidence-based thinking; Digital literacy; Ethical and moral reasoning (NEP 4.23)Checked by AI review against the National Education Policy 2020, final English text (July 2020, the PIB-hosted copy) on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
Indonesia, Graduate profile: Critical reasoning (penalaran kritis) — sorting valid information, evidence-based decisions (SMA)Not yet checked against its source.
Ireland, Junior Cycle Wellbeing: Aware — thinking through my decisions; Responsible — knowing where my safety is at risk and making right choicesNot yet checked against its source.
Japan, Courses of Study: Moral education — information morals (情報モラル); A — valuing truth (真理の探究) and judging for oneself (自主，自律)Not yet checked against its source.
Kenya, Competency-based curriculum: Digital Literacy — searching, evaluating and using information from digital platforms; Critical Thinking and Problem SolvingNot yet checked against its source.
Mexico, Nueva Escuela Mexicana: Axis: Critical thinking — examining who made a message, why, and on what evidenceNot yet checked against its source.
New Zealand, Health and PE: KAL mental health — the effects of media messages; Personal health and physical development — safety managementNot yet checked against its source.
Scotland, Health and wellbeing: Relationships, sexual health and parenthood: popular culture, the media and peer pressure can influence how I feel about myself and my actions (HWB 3-46b)Checked by AI review against Education Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, Health and wellbeing: experiences and outcomes on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
Singapore, CCE: SEC: responsible decision-making; CCE Curriculum Content Area: Cyber Wellness; Making Choices: discernment in risky situationsChecked by AI review against MOE's 2021 Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) Syllabus, Secondary on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
South Africa, Life Orientation: Democracy and human rights — role of the media: critical analysis of media and campaigns (Gr 12)Not yet checked against its source.
United States, CASEL: responsible decision-making; self-awareness; social awarenessChecked by AI review against the CASEL Framework (2020), as published on casel.org on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
European Union, LifeComp: L2 Critical thinking — reliable sources, analysing media messages (L2.1–L2.2); P2 Flexibility — revising views on new evidence (P2.1)Not yet checked against its source.
Middle East and North Africa, UNICEF life skills: Critical thinking — assessing social media messages, evidence and motives; Decision-making — trust, check or let goNot yet checked against its source.
IB, ATL: Research: media literacy skillsChecked by AI review against the IB's MYP: From principles into practice, Approaches to learning (for use from September 2014/January 2015, a school-hosted copy) on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
OECD Learning Compass: Core foundations: cognitive foundations (digital literacy and data literacy); Skills: cognitive and meta-cognitive skills (critical thinking)Checked by AI review against the OECD Learning Compass 2030 concept notes Skills for 2030 and Core Foundations for 2030 (2019) on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
UNESCO SEL: Critical Inquiry (sorting trustworthy from unreliable content)Checked by AI review against MGIEP's page naming the four competencies, with their definitions from summaries of Rethinking Learning (MGIEP, 2020), which could not be opened on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.
WHO life skills: Critical thinking — analysing information and recognising the influence of the media; Decision making — trust, check or let goNot yet checked against its source.
Inner Development Goals: Thinking: Critical ThinkingChecked by AI review against the Inner Development Guide's 25 skills across 5 dimensions (idg.guide, 2025) on 10 October 2026, not yet by a human adviser.