Common Sense Media: Online Disinhibition and Harms

Common Sense Media: Online Disinhibition and Harms
Why is it easier to cross a line online than in person?

Most of us can spot obvious cyberbullying. The harder part is the gray area—the post that feels like a joke to the person making it and lands as something else entirely on the person it’s about. In this lesson, students sort a set of everyday online behaviors by how harmful they are, discover they might not be able to easily agree, and dig into why. They come away understanding how online disinhibition makes it easy to cross a line without noticing, especially when the person on the other end isn’t in front of you.

Objectives

  • Analyze how relationship, intent, and consent determine whether an online behavior causes harm
  • Explain how online disinhibition leads people to act in ways they wouldn’t in person
  • Reflect on their own online behavior and the factors that can be easy to miss

Common Sense Media
High School
9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

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Resource k12

Common Sense Media: Online Disinhibition and Harms
Why is it easier to cross a line online than in person?

Most of us can spot obvious cyberbullying. The harder part is the gray area—the post that feels like a joke to the person making it and lands as something else entirely on the person it’s about. In this lesson, students sort a set of everyday online behaviors by how harmful they are, discover they might not be able to easily agree, and dig into why. They come away understanding how online disinhibition makes it easy to cross a line without noticing, especially when the person on the other end isn’t in front of you.

Objectives

  • Analyze how relationship, intent, and consent determine whether an online behavior causes harm
  • Explain how online disinhibition leads people to act in ways they wouldn’t in person
  • Reflect on their own online behavior and the factors that can be easy to miss
Common Sense Media
High School
9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

What are you looking for?

Organization

Common Sense Media

Website URL

Type of Resource

Lesson Plan

Assigned Categories