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 how I spend my time online.

So here is our outcome for today's lesson, and by the end, you will be able to explain the importance of managing my time online effectively.

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.

So here are keywords for today's lesson.

Let's go through these definitions together.

So first we have socialise.

To talk, play, or spend time with friends, family, or new people.

Entertainment, anything that makes you feel happy, interested, or excited.

Like movies, games, music, or sports.

Unique, something or someone that is one of a kind, special, and different from anything else.

Long-term, something that takes place over a long period of time or has long lasting effects.

So here is our outline of today's learning during today's lesson.

So we're gonna begin by asking the question, what do we enjoy doing online? Now the internet has a variety of online spaces.

There are millions of different ways to spend your time online.

So Andeep is saying that when he's online, he likes to watch people play video games.

Izzy is saying that she's using her time online to learn a new language, and Aisha is saying that she enjoys socialising with friends online.

Now the internet can be used for entertainment, but it can also be used for productivity.

For example, some people may play games online with friends for entertainment, whereas others may work online and use online spaces in their jobs.

So the internet can be entertaining, but it can also be a great way to be productive.

The things people do, enjoy doing online, will reflect a person's hobbies or interests, and it will probably be unique to them.

For example, Jun says that he enjoys painting miniature models.

So he watches videos online and reads blogs about painting techniques.

Whereas Sofia says that she loves reading fantasy books.

So she's a part of lots of reading groups online and she watches videos about book recommendations.

So we can see here that the way that Jun and Sofia are spending their time online reflects their hobbies and their interests.

Now what we're gonna do is we're gonna pause the video here, and I would like for you to check your understanding by deciding whether or not those four activities on the left hand side of the table are done to be productive or are done for entertainment.

So pause the video and you just need to think, is this activity productive? Is it entertainment? And then we'll go through the correct answer together in just a moment.

Great work for giving that a go, and well done if you said that learning a new language is productive, socialising with friends is entertainment.

Watching a documentary is productive, while watching a funny video is entertainment.

So the things that we enjoy doing online can also really benefit us.

They can help us get better at hobby or an interest.

They can help us learn more about the world around us.

It can help us to learn the skills needed for education and for work.

It can allow us to socialise with friends, particularly if they're friends that we don't see every day or they live very far away from us and they can provide us with entertainment.

They can give us ideas about new hobbies and interests to try.

So Lucas is saying that doing the things that we enjoy online can make us feel really good.

It is a great source of entertainment and can make us feel really positive.

However, not everything that we enjoy doing online is good for us.

So dopamine is a hormone that is released when we experience something pleasurable or rewarding.

And what this does is it motivates us to repeat this behaviour in the long-term.

And this might lead to unhealthy habits.

So if we find something online that makes us feel good, that makes our brains release that dopamine hormone, it might make us want to do it more.

And this isn't always necessarily good for us.

So, many online are actually created to exploit this reward system in our brain.

And they do this in order to try and keep us there, keep us watching, keep us engaging.

For example, Sofia says that she really enjoys getting likes and comments on the things that she posts on social media.

And our doctor here is telling us that our brains release dopamine when we get nice comments or likes, our brains release that reward hormone.

And this can make us want to post more so that we get more likes and more comments.

Alex is saying that he loves watching his favourite shows online.

And unlike with TV, he doesn't have to wait until next week to watch the next episode.

If he's watching TV on a streaming platform, all of the episodes are there for him to watch.

Our nurse is saying that when we binge watch a show, this is to watch a TV show, one episode after the other, our brain releases dopamine from the enjoyment of the show.

However, what can happen is that as time goes on, people may need to start watching more and more and more to get that same good feeling.

So where is in the past, Alex may have only had to watch one or two episodes to get that great dopamine release and make him feel good, he might find that he needs to start watching even more episodes to get that same feeling in the future.

So Aisha is saying that she likes to watch short videos on her phone.

Some of them are really funny and because they're short, she can watch loads of them.

However, our doctor is saying here, that when we watch lots of short videos, it gives our brains a quick reward of dopamine, lots of short bursts of dopamine.

Because lots of these can be watched in a short amount of time, our brains can become addicted to that feeling.

Our brains can become addicted to those short, short bursts of dopamine that we can get from watching lots and lots of short videos online.

Now, it may sound good that our brains enjoy the stimulation from being online, but in the long-term, it can be bad for us.

It can make us want to be online more and make our brains crave dopamine.

In fact, the more we engage with content that releases quick bursts of dopamine, like short videos, the more we need to watch in order to get the same good feeling.

So just like with Alex and his TV shows, he might have started off watching one or two.

The dopamine release wasn't the same after watching one or two, and then he felt like he had to start watching more and more and more to get that same good feeling.

It's the same with short videos online as well.

And our brains can become accustomed to those dopamine releases and we may feel that we need to start watching more and more and more in order to get that same good feeling.

Now, there's nothing wrong with using the internet for entertainment, but it is important to use it in moderation.

It's also important to consider whether what you are doing online is a good use of your time, and if it's benefiting you.

People must be cautious of what they spend their time doing online in order to prevent any negative long-term effects.

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

Which of these activities could cause quick bursts of dopamine? Lucas is saying he watched short videos online for two hours last night, and Sam says that she watched a two hour nature documentary online last night.

So which of these activities is gonna cause quick bursts of dopamine? Pause the video here and have a think about your answer.

Well done if you said Lucas watching two hours of short videos.

And why? Well, it's because short videos can be addictive because what they do is they give these quick bursts of dopamine in the brain.

The more a person watches, the more they feel they need to watch in order to achieve the same dopamine boost.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So with the person next to you, I would like for you to discuss what people enjoy doing online and whether or not it is always good for them.

Now, while you are having your discussions, there are some things I want for you to consider.

And these are hobbies and interests, being productive or productivity, entertainment, dopamine, and addictive.

So while you are having those discussions, think about those things and then we'll join back together in a moment and we'll have a look at some of the things that you might have discussed.

I'm sure those were great discussions.

So let's have a look now at some of the things that you might have mentioned.

So there are online spaces that appeal to lots of different people and the way that they use the internet is unique to them.

People's online use reflects their hobbies and their interests.

People can use the internet for entertainment or to be productive.

They could play games and socialise, or they could read books, they could learn, or even create art online.

Online spaces can be entertaining, but they can cause rapid dopamine releases in the brain.

For example, watching an hour of short videos can make us crave the release of dopamine and therefore this activity is addictive.

Well done if you mentioned any of those things in your discussions.

We are moving on now to the second and final part of our lesson.

And we're asking the question, what things online are healthy in the long-term? So when we're enjoying ourselves online, it can be difficult to tell whether something will be good for us in the long-term.

However, there might actually be some signs that our online use is having a negative impact on our physical and mental health.

Now, one long-term health impact of online activity is what we call compulsive internet use.

And our doctor is really kindly explaining this for us.

And she says, "Compulsive internet use means that someone is unable to stop scrolling or is constantly checking their digital devices for notifications or new content." Compulsive internet use is a problem, because it can cause reduced focus in more important activities or work.

So if somebody feels compelled, they feel a compulsion to check their phone for notifications or to look for new content, it will take their attention and their focus, their concentration away from more important activities and other responsibilities.

So this is quite a negative impact that it can have on our lives.

So if someone uses the internet compulsively, they may miss important things going on around them.

In order to challenge this, what people should do is be mindful when they use digital devices.

Think about how they use the internet and should try to not mindlessly scroll.

So one thing to do is to ask yourself before you pick up your device, are you doing this for a reason? Is there something particular that you're looking for? Is it an important notification that's come through? And if not, it might be best to leave the device alone.

Just try to be mindful about how you're using your devices.

Another sign that internet use is having an unhealthy long-term health impact is a feeling that people need to be online in order to feel good.

So it could be that someone feels that they don't get the same amount of enjoyment out of their online time as they used to.

This can make them feel that they need to go online more in order to feel good.

And our nurse here is saying that our brains can actually become desensitised to dopamine if the brain releases it a lot.

And this can mean that the natural dopamine triggers that we experience in our lives, like seeing a beautiful sunset, they don't have the same impact and our enjoyment of them is actually reduced.

Now, there's nothing wrong with finding entertainment online, but it's also important to seek entertainment in the offline world as well.

So in order to keep our brains healthy in the long-term, what we can do is something known as a digital detox.

And this means having a time during the day where devices are put away and time is spent away from screens.

So this could mean putting your phone down and going outside for a walk, or going to see friends, or spending time with family.

Anything to take you away from that screen to give your brain a break and start to build up those natural dopamine triggers.

This can help our brains to regulate our dopamine levels even better.

So we're gonna pause the video here and have a think about what we've learned so far.

So true or false, if using the internet makes you feel good, then it's harmless.

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

Well done if you said false, but why is this false? Well, if people start to rely on the internet and online activities as the only way that they can find happiness and entertainment, it's a sign of a negative long-term effect that their online use has had.

Now, watching lots of short videos or having multiple screens open at one time, for example, watching a show on a laptop while scrolling on a smartphone, it can have an impact on our focus and attention span.

The doctor here is telling us, "If our brains get used to only watching short videos or the feeling of constantly seeing new things, it can impair our ability to engage deeper in other things.

And this can impact our schoolwork or jobs in the long-term." So quite a serious consequence.

Now it's important to be mindful of our online use.

For example, if someone's watching a film, they should avoid scrolling on a smartphone.

You should similarly avoid using a smartphone when spending time with others where this is possible.

So this can help train our brain to focus on one thing at a time for longer periods of time.

Andeep is telling us here that focusing on one thing at a time is healthy in the long-term, and it can actually improve our ability to learn and work hard.

So we're gonna pause here.

I'm gonna check our understanding.

So which of the following can be impacted by watching lots of short videos online? Is it attention span, ability to learn, or ability to work hard? So pause the video here, have a think about your answers, and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Really well done if you said all of them.

So being impacted by watching lots of short videos can impact your attention span, your ability to focus on something, which can in turn impact your ability to learn and your ability to work hard.

So well done if you saw the trick in that question there, and said that all three of them can be impacted.

So if we're enjoying being online a lot, we may feel tempted to ignore other responsibilities.

So we've got Chloe here, and she's saying that she knows she should really be doing some revision, but she's enjoying this online game too much.

Sometimes the things that make us feel good in the moment aren't actually always good for us in the long-term.

Everyone has responsibilities, whether that's doing chores at home, looking after a pet, or even working hard at a job.

We all have certain responsibilities that we have to do.

Now it's good to spend time online, but it has to be balanced alongside our other responsibilities.

And what this can do is it can help us to enjoy a healthier life in the long-term.

So it is good to learn how to balance online entertainment with our responsibilities.

It's a really good skill to have.

So Jacob says that what he does is he leaves his smartphone in another room when he is doing homework, so he's not tempted to use it and be distracted by it.

And Sam is saying that she uses her dad's tablet as a reward for doing chores or revising.

And what this does is it makes the time that she spends online more meaningful.

We're gonna pause here again and check our understanding.

So which of the following is a healthy long-term choice? Is it watching videos on a digital device when you're bored, scrolling social media while socialising in person, or setting a time limit when using social media apps? Pause the video, have a think about which is the correct answer, and then we'll go through it together.

Really well done if you said C, yes, of course.

The healthy long-term choice here is to set a time limit when using social media apps.

So that could be setting an alarm that goes off your phone or another device to tell you, "Okay, time to stop scrolling now, time to stop using social media.

Time to get on with those responsibilities that we have." Or it could be time to go outside for a walk and enjoy some time with family and friends.

Being on a screen for a long period of time can also impact our sleep.

And in the long-term, a lack of sleep can have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

So this can happen for a number of reasons.

One is because devices like phones or tablets, emit something called blue light, which suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin.

And the reason why blue light suppresses melatonin is because it tricks the body into thinking that it is daytime.

Constant stimulation through videos, photos, articles, and social media posts can make the brain too active to sleep.

And finally, bingeing videos, which means watching videos one after the other or excessive scrolling can make time slip away and cause someone to stay awake later than intended.

If something's preventing you from getting a good night's sleep, this is not healthy in the long-term.

As our nurse is telling us here, people aged between 13 and 18 years old need between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night.

In order to have a better night's sleep, people should turn their digital devices off for at least an hour.

Sorry, turn them off at least an hour before they go to sleep.

To improve sleep, a person could read a book in bed, they could listen to calming music or sounds, or even try meditation.

To make healthier long-term choices about online habits, there's some things that we should do, and one of them is to set screen time limits.

That's to say to yourself that you'll have half an hour, 45 minutes online, and then you'll go and do other stuff, whether that's your responsibilities like chores or homework, or to go outside, get some fresh air and have a walk.

You could avoid using the internet out of boredom or to de-stress.

So be mindful about when you are picking up your device, are you picking it up 'cause you're bored, you've got nothing else to do, or are you doing it to de-stress? And if so, try to avoid using it in those situations.

Find offline alternatives for entertainment.

Pause between episodes of TV shows online.

This can help us to stop binge watching TV shows.

Avoid using devices in bed at night.

And finally, take part in a range of activities that make you feel good.

So these are ways that we can help to make longer, sorry, long-term, healthier choices about online habits.

Now, if you are concerned about the amount of time you spend online, it's important to seek support from a trusted adult.

Trusted adults at home or at school can help us to learn healthy habits online and how to manage our time online effectively.

What we're gonna do now to end the lesson is we are going to put our learning into practise.

So I would like for you to complete the table with the healthier long-term alternative to each of these online activities.

So read through the list of the four online activities, and I'd like to have a think, what could somebody do alternatively, which would be a healthier long-term choice? Give yourself some time, pause the video, have a think about your answers, and then we'll have a look at some possible suggestions that you could have made.

Great work on your table there.

Let's have a look at what your table could look like.

So our first online activity was scrolling on social media before bed, and I said that healthy alternative is reading a book in bed and putting your devices away an hour before bedtime.

The next online activity was talking to friends online.

The healthier alternative would be meeting up with friends in person and socialising face to face.

Next we had picking up a device to look at social media when you are bored.

Instead, you could do something stimulating offline like drawing, dancing or baking.

Next was watching continuous short videos of people playing sport.

Alternatively, you could do something active offline, like playing sport with friends or going for a walk.

So well done if you came up with any of those healthy alternatives and great work on your table.

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

So the internet has many different online spaces and there are hundreds, if not millions, of different ways to spend time online.

Everyone has unique ways of spending their time online.

Some people may use it for entertainment, to socialise, or even for work.

Some of the things we do online can benefit us in the long term, such as learning a language, or watching a documentary.

Others are more harmful in the long-term, like scrolling social media for hours or watching videos continuously.

It is important to build healthy online habits and balance it with time offline in order to stay healthy in the long-term.

Speak to a trusted adult if you are worried about how much time you are spending online.

Now, if any of the topics or issues covered in today's lesson affect you or you are concerned, here are some places that you can go to access support.

So 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.

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

So I would like to end by saying a huge well done for all of the fantastic work that you've done in this lesson today, and I hope to see you again soon in another RSHE lesson.