Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Today's lesson is all about social media and difference.

And because of some of the topics and the themes that we're gonna cover today, it's important that you complete your learning with the company of an adult.

Here's our outcome for today's lesson.

So by the end, you're gonna be able to describe how social media is not always representative of society.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

Now let's have a look at our key words for today's lesson.

So first we have bias, an assumption that influences how you act.

Representation, the amount that certain types of people are seen, shown and celebrated.

Self-esteem, how we value and perceive ourselves.

And here's a look at what we're gonna be learning during today's lesson.

So we're gonna begin today by asking the question, can the internet be biassed? So the internet is like a giant collection of information.

I want you to imagine it like the world's biggest library.

However, the information that we see on the internet, the information that's collected, is curated and uploaded by human beings.

This means that because the human beings that upload, curate, and collect this information because they have bias, the information that they collect may reflect that bias.

There are different ways that internet bias can appear.

For example, we can see bias online through social media algorithms, through echo chambers, through search engines, and in AI software.

And we're gonna have a look at these three ways that bias can appear on the internet in a bit more detail together now.

But let's begin first of all by checking our understanding about what we just learned.

So true or false, the internet can be biassed because human beings can be biassed.

Is that true or false? Pause the video here.

Really well done if you said true.

Yes, because all of the information that we have access to online is collected, curated, and uploaded by human beings, it may reflect the bias that human beings have.

So we're gonna start to have a look now at how bias can appear online.

I'm gonna begin by looking at algorithms. Now, if you're not sure what an algorithm is, it's a computer programme that suggests content to users based on their previous searches and popular content in their area.

Therefore, an algorithm can reinforce societal bias or bias that appears in the world around us.

Andeep is telling us here that if lots of people only consume content from a certain demographic, it means that they may see less content from people with other identities and other perspectives.

So if we only watch content made by one type of creator or talking about one type of subject or reflecting one type of opinion or perspective, we're gonna see more of that because that's what the algorithm will suggest to us.

So in 2025, the UK government did a report and it found that ethnic minorities face higher risks of bias in job recruitment algorithms. It also found that financial services algorithms may deny loans to certain groups of people more than others.

Now let's have a look at echo chambers.

So following consuming or sharing content from people from only one demographic, as we said before, can mean that the algorithm is gonna suggest more of that exact same content.

And what this means is that people can find themselves in an echo chamber, where the things that they already think and believe, the opinions and perspectives that they have already are just echoed back to them and they're never, ever challenged.

So they only see content that represents one worldview.

This means that they don't see much content created or featuring people with different identities and perspectives.

Now we're gonna pause here again and we're gonna check our understanding about what we've just learned.

So what I'd like for you to do is to rewrite the sentence so that it is correct.

It currently says, "Echo chambers represent lots of different worldviews and allow people to see things from different perspectives." So you're gonna pause the video here and rewrite that sentence.

Great work.

So you were asked to rewrite this sentence to make it correct, and you might have written the echo chambers represent only one worldview and do not allow people to see the world from different perspectives.

Now let's have a look at how search engines can reinforce bias.

So search engines can reflect a bias that is found in society.

And Sofia is telling us her experience here with search engines and bias.

She says that she searched the word "beautiful" online and all the suggested images were so similar.

She's saying that very few of the images that appeared looked like her and it was really upsetting.

Now let's have a look at artificial intelligence or AI.

So there are AI sites and chatbots that are trained to give a response to a user generated prompt.

We might have used these before in the past.

These are text related chatbots.

We can ask them to create something or write something or make something for us based on a question or a prompt that we give it.

And the data that these bots are trained on is given by the people who created it.

So these AI chat bots don't just magically know all this information by themselves.

They're trained on things that human beings feed into the AI.

Therefore, if the data that's given to AI contains bias, the AI will reflect that in its responses.

And we're gonna check our understanding once more here.

So what is missing from the list? There are different ways that internet bias can appear, for example, in algorithms, echo chambers, and we can see there's two blank bullet points there.

So you're gonna pause the video here and fill in the missing elements from this list.

Great work.

So you should have said there are different ways that internet bias can appear, for example, in algorithms, echo chambers, search engines, and AI and chatbots.

Well done if you've got those answers correct.

And now we're gonna put everything that we've learned into practise.

So what I would like for you to do is I would like for you to write one paragraph to answer the question, can the internet be biassed? And I'd like you to include the following keywords in your answer.

So we have bias and representation.

You're gonna pause the video here and have a go at writing that paragraph.

Great work.

So you were asked to write one paragraph to answer the question, can the internet be biassed? And you might have written, "The internet can be biassed because human beings can be biassed, as they are the ones who upload, create and programme the sites and apps that we use.

Bias can also exist in search engines where results may only represent certain groups or demographics.

AI can even be biassed as it's trained by humans, and the information that it presents users will reflect the bias of the people who trained it." Well done if you mentioned any of those things in your answer.

And we are moving on now to the second part of our lesson where we're asking the question, why does representation online matter? The internet is a space for everyone to use.

People all over the world use the internet, and therefore it should be reflective of that world that we live in.

Our world is diverse, it's exciting, and it's home to so many different people, cultures and ethnicities.

However, the only issue with the internet is that it doesn't always provide a good representation of this due to the bias that exists within it.

Now, being underrepresented online can be an isolating experience.

Layla is telling us here that she is Sikh, so her experience of the UK may be different to others.

When she goes on social media, she rarely ever sees content made by people of her faith, and sometimes it can make her feel very alone.

So we can see here that being underrepresented, not seeing people who look like you or share similar experiences to you can be quite isolating.

It can feel like nobody is living those shared experiences with you.

Being underrepresented can also lead to difficulty accessing relatable information, so information that directly impacts us and the lives that we live.

David is telling us here that he has thick, curly hair.

When he sees haircare videos online, he doesn't often see ones that relate to his hair type.

He says it would be nice to see more people with hair like mine, with hair like his, so he can learn from other people's experiences.

Now we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding.

Being underrepresented online never affects people in real life.

I want you to pause the video here, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Really well done if you said false.

Let's have a think about why that's false.

Well, being underrepresented online might be an isolating experience, and it can lead to difficulty accessing relatable information.

Being underrepresented online can also lead to an increased likelihood of encountering stereotypes, and a stereotype is a fixed idea about someone that isn't fair or true.

Amira here says that she sees a lot of commentary online about wearing a hijab, and it's made by people who don't actually wear them themselves.

She chooses to wear her hijab and she feels empowered by it, and it's important for her self-expression.

So we can see here that being underrepresented online is actually affecting other people's understanding about the world around them, different people's cultures, faiths, and the important things in their lives, and it's causing an increased likelihood of encountering stereotypes.

And in Amira's case, this means seeing people who have a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of wearing a hijab and why it matters to Muslims. Furthermore, feeling underrepresented online can harm self-esteem by promoting certain beauty standards that exclude different body types, skin tones, and physical abilities.

Nurse Daniel says here that when people feel underrepresented online, they may feel inadequate, which means not good enough, or pressured to conform to unrealistic standards.

Dr.

Elsie tells us here that if your experiences online are affecting your mental health or your wellbeing, it's really important to speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional.

However, when people experience better representation online, it can make them feel more seen and valued online and in communities.

It can make people feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin, and it helps to show other people how diverse beauty really is.

It can also make people feel like different viewpoints and experiences matter.

So better representation is really important for everyone.

And we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding again.

How can better representation online make people feel? I'd like you to list three ideas here.

So pause the video now.

Really well done if you said, one, it can make them feel more seen and valued online and in their communities.

Two, it can make them feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin and helps us all to see how diverse beauty is.

And three, it can make them feel like different viewpoints and experiences matter.

Well done if you mentioned those three things in your answers.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So Layla is saying here, "I rarely see content online about what life is like in the UK for Sikhs.

It makes me feel quite isolated and alone." Sofia is saying that when search engines only show people who look a certain way as representing the word beautiful, it really harms her self-esteem.

What I would like for you to do is for each person describing how it feels to be underrepresented online, I'd like you to explain how better representation might make them feel.

So you're gonna pause the video here and you're gonna write down those answers.

Really good work.

So I asked you to, for each person describing how it feels to be underrepresented online, to explain how better representation might make them feel.

So for Layla, you might have said better representation could help Layla feel more seen and valued in her community.

It could also make her feel more included as she's seeing the experiences of others online who are just like her.

You might have also said in Sofia's case that better representation could help Sofia feel more confident and comfortable in her own skin.

It can also show her that beauty is diverse and it's not only one type of person who is seen as beautiful.

And we're gonna end today's lesson with a summary of what we've learned together today.

The internet is not biassed by itself.

It is biassed because human beings who control the internet are biassed.

Bias can be found in different places online, such as lack of representation on search engines, algorithms, and AI programmes.

Due to bias found online, people may experience a feeling of isolation, and this under representation can have a harmful impact on self-esteem.

If your experiences online are affecting your mental health and wellbeing, it's important to speak to a trusted adult or medical professional.

Now, if any of the things that we've spoken about during today's lesson affect you in any way or you have any concerns, here are some places that you can go to to get support.

First, we have Childline, a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

CEOP, which helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

Finally, Internet Matters which teaches children and parents how to stay safe and happy online while using the internet.

And I'd like to say a big thank you to all of your fantastic work that we've done together today.

It's been wonderful teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you in another RSHE lesson soon.