New
New
Lesson 2 of 5
  • Year 10

Social media and mental health

I can describe the potential effects of social media on mental health.

Lesson 2 of 5
New
New
  • Year 10

Social media and mental health

I can describe the potential effects of social media on mental health.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Social media enables us to stay in touch with people around the world.
  2. Social media can make comparison with the lives of others easy.
  3. Social media can distort our sense of what is normal.
  4. Other people's social media feeds can look better than reality.
  5. Unhealthy online activity can lead to mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and addiction.

Keywords

  • Distort - to change or twist something away from its normal or true form

  • Mental health - the health of our minds and emotions

  • Compare - to look at how similar or different we are to someone else

Common misconception

What we see on social media is a reflection of people's real lives and experiences.

Social media feeds can distort what is real because people often show only the best parts of their lives.


To help you plan your year 10 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Social media and mental health, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Find examples of social media influencers using filters or editing their photos. Explain what changes have been made and discuss the harm of comparing ourselves to a distorted ideal. Be mindful to include appropriate examples.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to the correct definition.

Correct Answer:socialise,to talk to or spend time with friends, family or new people

to talk to or spend time with friends, family or new people

Correct Answer:influence,the effect that something has on the way a person thinks or behaves

the effect that something has on the way a person thinks or behaves

Correct Answer:impact,having an effect on something

having an effect on something

Q2.
Our time online should be combined with...

Correct answer: plenty of good quality sleep.
infrequent physical activity.
Correct answer: use of screen limits.
Correct answer: socialising with people offline.

Q3.
Which of the following is an unhealthy way to use the internet?

socialising with friends who live far away
Correct answer: putting off other jobs to spend time online
using the internet for homework

Q4.
Match the type of unhealthy online behaviour with the correct description.

Correct Answer:doomscrolling,scrolling through negative content for hours at a time

scrolling through negative content for hours at a time

Correct Answer:comparison trap,seeing another person's lifestyle/body image and wishing you had it

seeing another person's lifestyle/body image and wishing you had it

Correct Answer:echo chamber,only looking at content that you agree with or is the same as yours

only looking at content that you agree with or is the same as yours

Q5.
The internet can connect people through communities with shared...

Correct Answer: experiences, solidarity, interests, experience, hobbies

Q6.
If this is the definition, 'how we value and perceive ourselves', what is the word?

self-confidence
Correct answer: self-esteem
body image

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.

Correct Answer:distort,to change or twist something away from its normal or true form

to change or twist something away from its normal or true form

Correct Answer:mental health,the health of our minds and emotions

the health of our minds and emotions

Correct Answer:compare,to look at how similar or different we are to someone else

to look at how similar or different we are to someone else

Q2.
Which of the following is not a benefit of social media?

connecting people and communities
creating space for people to explore hobbies
Correct answer: looking at images that have been edited by filters

Q3.
Social media can our view of what we consider 'normal'.

Correct Answer: distort, change, twist, alter

Q4.
Which of the following statements about social media are incorrect?

Correct answer: Social media always reflects reality.
Social media can make people's reality look better than it is.
Social media can be a part of a balanced lifestyle.

Q5.
Unhealthy social media use can cause serious conditions.

Correct Answer: mental health

Q6.
How can we support ourselves and others to use social media safely?

Correct answer: report and block harmful accounts
Correct answer: speak to a trusted adult about concerns
ignore poor mental health and keep worries to yourself
Correct answer: follow accounts that promote positive messages
compare ourselves to unrealistic social media posts