STUDENTS + SOCIAL MEDIA

USE

100

What percentage of youth / teens (ages 13-17) use social media? 

A) 22% - 37% 

B) 61% - 75% 

C) 81% - 95% 

D) 53% - 68%

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

CORRECT ANSWER: 

C) 81% - 95%; according to the U.S. Surgeon General's Office

200

What is the average amount of time 13-17 year old youth spend online each day? 

A) 1.5 - 3 hours 

B) less than an hour

C) 5 or more hours

D) 2 - 3.5 hours 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

CORRECT ANSWER: 

D) According to the U.S. Surgeon General, most teens / youth age 13-17 spend 3.5 hours a day on social media. 

ADDITIONALLY: 

-- 1 in 4 spend 5 or more hours

-- 1 in 7 spend 7 or more hours 

300

Name 3 different educational ways that social media can be used. 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- learn or share a skill 

-- learn or share a language

-- learn or share about history 

-- learn or share about scientific topics 

-- learn or share about your interests

-- learn or share fitness / stretching / health 

-- learn or share recipes 

-- find or start study groups 

-- find resources and texts  

-- other ideas? 

400

What are some key differences between "ACTIVE" and "PASSIVE" social media use? 

Give 3 examples

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

ACTIVE: 

-- creating content 

-- building network 

-- starting or being an admin in a group 

-- shares + reposts 

-- posting 

-- commenting 

-- likes 

-- when used responsibly, is better for your mental health

-- can create a sense of group belonging + community 

PASSIVE: 

-- consuming content 

-- scrolling (especially without putting a limit on time spent) 

-- less of a sense of connection to online groups +  communities 

-- can easily turn into "compare + despair" 

-- even when used responsibly, typically not good for mental health

-- anything else? 

500

Give at least 3 examples each of these different types of media:

1) BROADCAST

2) PRINT

3) SOCIAL

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

1) BROADCAST: 

-- tv

-- movies 

-- radio 

-- podcasts

-- anything else? 

2) PRINT MEDIA: 

-- newspapers

-- magazines 

-- billboards 

-- brochures 

-- postcards

-- books 

-- direct mail campaigns 

-- anything else? 

3) SOCIAL MEDIA: 

-- facebook 

-- instagram 

-- tiktok 

-- twitter / X 

-- snapchat 

-- youtube 

-- whatsapp 

-- anything else? 

MISUSE

100

How do most children + youth under 13 gain access to viewing or interacting on SOCIAL MEDIA? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- Use of a parent's phone 

-- Use of a friend's phone 

-- Home computer or tablet 

-- Smart tv without child restrictions 

-- video games or video game consoles with online interfaces

200

Name 3 ways that teens / youth can be harmed by social media 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- cyber bullying 

-- body image 

-- anxiety 

-- depression 

-- loneliness 

-- compare + despair (FOMO)

-- issues with sleep consistency

-- issues with paying attention / ability to focus 

-- loss of listening abilities / skills 

-- overstimulation 

-- desensitization (violence, sexuality, anger, bullying) 

-- exposure to harmful content 

-- self-control issues

-- anything else? 

300

Name 3 warning signs that someone may be misusing social media

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- withdrawing from in-person social interactions 

-- loss of interest in hobbies

-- letting screen time interfere with physical activities, healthy habits, sleep patterns

-- excessive amounts of time daily; in excess of several hours

-- poor grades or work performance 

-- anxiety about checking social media frequently 

400

SCENARIO: You are hanging out with a friend and they keep looking at their phone every few minutes to check notifications from social media apps. This is starting to bother you + even hurt your feelings...

QUESTION: How do you politely ask your friend to put down their phone and become more invested in the moment with you? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- Be honest + be kind, let them know that their phone use is disruptive to your in person time to connect 

-- Ask them if they will do a no-phone hangout

-- Turn it into a game: the next person that looks at their phone has to give the other person a gift / buy the other person a snack / or give them $5. 

-- Ask them what they want to do so they can feel more engaged + present in your hangout? Do they want to go for a walk? Play with some pets? Play a non-screen game? Find something that's engaging + accessible for you both to participate in. 

-- What else? 

500

What are 3 different ways that you can tell something online has been altered, includes disinformation, or is produced by AI? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

ALTERED: 

• Blurring / loss of pixels in video 
• Filters slipping off faces / backgrounds
• distorted objects / backgrounds 
• un-realistic / unnatural / unbelievable images 
• anything else? 

DISINFORMATION:

• unverifiable information
• pieces written by nonexperts
• information not found on other sites
• information that comes from a fake site
• stories that appeal to emotions instead of stating facts
• Clickbait. This uses exaggerated, questionable or misleading headlines, images or social media descriptions to generate web traffic. These stories are deliberately fabricated to attract readers.
• Propaganda. This spreads information, rumors or ideas to harm an institution, country, group of people or individual -- typically for political gain.
• Imposter content. This impersonates general news sites to contain made-up stories to deceive readers.
• Biased/slanted news. This attracts readers to confirm their own biases and beliefs.
• Satire. This creates fake news stories for parody and entertainment.
• State-sponsored news. This operates under government control to create and spread disinformation to residents.
• Misleading headlines. These stories may not be completely false but are distorted with misleading headlines and small snippets displayed in newsfeeds.

AI: 

• Often labeled in the upper corner -- "generated by AI"
• Use Google Reverse Image Search
• Upload to a CONTENT CREDENTIALS website
• Scan the comments for anything that mentions potential AI 
• distorted objects / backgrounds 
• missing or added limbs and fingers
• things are out of proportion
• un-realistic / unnatural / unbelievable images 
• anything else? 

SAFETY CONCERNS + TIPS

100

Define cyberbullying 

+ 

give 2 examples 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

Kids Health.org defines cyberbullying as: "the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person." 

EXAMPLES: 

-- threats or harassment

-- mean, aggressive, rude posts, comments, or messages directed at a specific person

-- posting personal information, pictures, or videos intended to hurt or embarrass someone

-- sharing digital private messages or personal information, pictures, or videos with peers in order to embarrass someone

-- convincing others to ostracize or make fun of someone else based on something posted online 

200

Is there comprehensive online data privacy law(s) in the United States? 

Yes or No? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

CORRECT ANSWER: NO. 

Unfortunately there is no comprehensive law that protects our online data + privacy in the United States. 

There are some protections in place -- for example: The Communications Decency Act (CDA) and The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) are the two laws most often applied to social media. 

But you should interact with all devices, apps, and websites as though EVERY.SINGLE.KEYSTROKE is being recorded -- because it is. 

Anyone with skills + access to a VPN used to provide web-access -- despite any efforts to erase history or delete posts -- those things are all traceable unless you have comparable skills + access to ensure it isn't possible. 

300

What are 3 side effects of excessive screen time + social media use? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- sleep issues

-- decreased attention span 

-- compare + despair (FOMO)

-- self control issues 

-- over stimulation 

-- getting stuck in scroll loops

-- addictive tendencies

-- lack / lowered tolerance to in-person social distress 

-- lower resilience strategies 

-- increased body image issues 

-- exposure to harmful content

-- exposure to misinformation 

-- exposure to cyberbullying 

400

What are at least 3 of the "addictive" aspects of social media? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- quick consumption

-- repetitive motions 

-- trend following / FOMO 

-- dopamine boost from likes / comments / interactions 

-- From the Surgeon General's "Social Media + Youth Mental Health" report: 

1) Frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain in the amygdala (important for emotional learning and behavior) and the prefrontal cortex (important for impulse control, emotional regulation, and moderating social behavior), and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.

2) Push notifications, autoplay, infinite scroll, quantifying and displaying popularity (i.e., ‘likes’), and algorithms that leverage user data to serve content recommendations are some examples of these features that maximize engagement. 

3) Further, some researchers believe that social media exposure can overstimulate the reward center in the brain and, when the stimulation becomes excessive, can trigger pathways comparable to addiction. Small studies have shown that people with frequent and problematic social media use can experience changes in brain structure similar to changes seen in individuals with substance use or gambling addictions 

(https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf) 

500

Name 3 different ways someone on social media can know where you are posting from?

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- location tags

-- identifiable restaurants, parks, or other locations 

-- landmarks

-- street signs 

-- street art + murals 

-- anything else?

MAKING CHANGES

100

What are 3 activities you can do to replace time spent on social media? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- physical activities / sports  

-- reading 

-- baking + cooking 

-- playing with pets 

-- spending time with family + friends 

-- listen to music / play music 

-- meditate and/or journal 

-- clean / declutter 

-- learn a language 

-- go outside 

-- create something 

-- volunteer 

-- work a part-time job 

-- go to a library or museum 

-- anything else? What can be added to this list?

200

Name three non-screen related activities that you can do alone. 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- physical activities / exercise

-- reading 

-- baking + cooking 

-- playing with pets 

-- listen to music / play music 

-- meditate and/or journal 

-- clean / declutter 

-- learn a language 

-- go outside 

-- go for a walk 

-- create something 

-- volunteer 

-- work a part-time job 

-- go to a library or museum 

-- anything else? What can be added to this list?

300

Name 3 non-screen related activities that you can do with others (friends, family members, etc). 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- physical activities / sports  

-- baking + cooking 

-- playing with pets 

-- spending time with family + friends 

-- listen to music / play music 

-- clean / declutter 

-- go outside 

-- create something 

-- volunteer 

-- work a part-time job 

-- go to a library or museum 

-- anything else? What can be added to this list?

400

Name 3 ways you can limit your daily social media time.

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- turn off notifications

-- create Do Not Disturb (DND) or other low stimulation profiles; these can be programmed to turn on/off at specific times 

-- place limits on apps (App Block) 

-- Move apps off your home screen and put them in folders on a second or third screen 

-- set timers on your phone 

-- ask for an accountability partner 

-- designate tech-free zones (outside, dinner table) 

-- participate in tech-free activities 

-- other ideas?

500

What can adults + parents do to help ensure youth + teen safety on social media?

Give at least 3 examples.

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- discuss what is and is not ok to VIEW on social media

-- discuss what is and is not ok to POST on social media 

-- discuss appropriate behavior in online communities

-- set all apps, games, and devices to private + turn off location services

-- create a family contract for social media use

-- discuss what youth should do if an adult they don't know contacts them via social media

-- discuss what youth should do to report messages or comments that are inappropriate 

-- discuss setting privacy controls on youth social media accounts 

-- discuss cyberbullying 

-- discuss lack of data security online 

-- identify a trusted adult that youth can reach out to discuss social media concerns -- for themselves + for friends; this could be a teacher, counselor, coach, etc. 

-- discuss not posting personal information, including location identifiers, online

-- discuss daily screen time limits and check-ins

--  discuss that every.single.keystroke. made online is traceable. Everything is recorded. Nothing completely disappears.

DIGITAL COMMUNITIES

100

What is SOCIAL MEDIA? 

Please define it without using different platforms as the basis for your explanation. 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

Dictionary.com defines SOCIAL MEDIA as: "websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking."

Key concepts: 

-- online / internet use 

-- user generated content 

-- interactive 

-- apps and/or websites 

-- online games included 

200

What is the minimum age you can create an account for most social media platforms? 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

Answer: 13 years old. 

It should be noted that this age limit does not act as a true deterrent. It's very easy for users to change the year they were born to falsify their age without any oversight by social media platforms. 

300

Name + describe the main uses of 3 different SOCIAL MEDIA platforms

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- FACEBOOK: Personal profile can include identifying information. Ability to post thoughts, pictures, videos, memes, etc. Ability to comment + interact at multiple levels. Groups, marketplace, events. Feed is determined by algorithm -- hashtags adapt algorithm. Ads are ever present.

-- INSTAGRAM: Personal profile can include identifying information. Ability to post photo (with text) or video based content that others can comment on or interact with. REELS is a video-based feed for accounts you follow or to "discover" new accounts. Feed is determined by algorithm -- hashtags adapt algorithm. Ads are ever present.

-- TWITTER / X: Personal profile can include identifying information. Mostly text based content. Ability to interact with posts + to re-post them. Feed is determined by algorithm -- hashtags adapt algorithm. Ads are ever present.

-- TIKTOK: Personal profile can include identifying information. Mostly short video based content, many videos include music. Ability to interact with posts + to re-post them. Feed is determined by algorithm -- hashtags adapt algorithm. Ads are ever present. 

-- YOUTUBE: Personal profiles are not necessarily the focus. Video based content. Ability to interact with posts through comments + likes. Feed is determined by algorithm -- hashtags adapt algorithm. Ads are ever present. 

OTHER EXAMPLES: 

-- SNAPCHAT

-- WHATSAPP

-- PINTEREST 

-- SPOTIFY 

-- MINECRAFT

-- DISCORD 

-- WECHAT

-- REDDIT

-- LINE

-- Other examples?

400

What are some key differences between how people interact with or use "TRADITIONAL MEDIA" (BROADCAST + PRINT MEDIA) vs SOCIAL MEDIA? 

Give 2 examples (one each) that define these types of media without using the platforms as the basis for your explanation. 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

"TRADITIONAL" / BROADCAST MEDIA: 

-- someone else creates it

-- Higher production value, usually created by a production / media company. 

-- we just view or consume this type of media

-- typically more passive 

-- generally appeals to an older audience

-- set styles and forms that have existed for decades; doesn't change much

SOCIAL MEDIA: 

-- user created content; more people have the ability to create content 

-- typically more interactive 

-- typically more self directed content consumption

-- generally appeals to a younger audience 

-- constantly changing; new apps + features monthly / yearly basis

500

How do social media sites + influencers make money online?

Give at least 3 examples. 

Possible answers -- this list is not comprehensive, so the judges will have the final decision to award points.

-- time we "invest" in scrolling

-- using + selling data

-- ads (including "native advertising") 

-- sponsorship, promos, partnerships 

-- sponsored posts 

-- pay to attend or pay to view content + events

-- online courses 

-- subscriptions 

-- merchandise 

-- anything else?