Computing · Year 5 · Digital Creativity and Citizenship · Summer Term

Screen Time and Well-being

Examining the impact of screen time and social media on mental and physical health.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Computing - Online Safety
• KS2: Computing - Digital Literacy

About This Topic

Screen Time and Well-being helps Year 5 pupils examine how digital devices shape mental and physical health. They analyze notifications that apps use to hold attention, such as sounds and badges that trigger quick checks, distinguish active screen time like creating digital art from passive scrolling through feeds, and design weekly plans blending online and offline activities. This content meets KS2 Computing standards for online safety and digital literacy, while linking to PSHE goals for healthy choices.

Pupils build skills in self-monitoring by logging habits, interpreting patterns in their data, and advocating for balance through group presentations. These practices foster critical thinking about technology's role in daily life and encourage lifelong habits of mindful use.

Active learning suits this topic perfectly. When students track personal screen time, categorize activities, and prototype balance schedules in pairs, they connect concepts to their routines. This approach sparks ownership, reveals real impacts like fatigue from passive use, and makes lessons relevant and actionable.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how apps use notifications to keep us looking at our screens.
2. Differentiate between active screen time and passive screen time.
3. Design a plan to create a healthy balance between digital and physical activities.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how specific app notification features, such as badges and sounds, are designed to capture user attention.
• Differentiate between active screen time (e.g., creating content) and passive screen time (e.g., scrolling) and explain their differing impacts on well-being.
• Design a personal weekly schedule that balances digital activities with physical activities and offline social interactions.
• Evaluate the potential positive and negative effects of social media use on mental and physical health.
• Critique the design choices of a chosen app to identify strategies that encourage prolonged engagement.

Before You Start

Understanding Digital Devices and Apps

Why: Students need a basic familiarity with how smartphones, tablets, and computers work, and how to navigate common applications.

Introduction to Online Safety

Why: Prior knowledge of basic online safety principles provides a foundation for discussing the broader impacts of digital engagement on well-being.

Key Vocabulary

Passive Screen Time	Consuming content on a screen without active creation or deep engagement, such as scrolling through social media feeds or watching videos.
Active Screen Time	Engaging with a screen in a way that involves creation, problem-solving, or focused interaction, like coding, digital art, or educational games.
Notification Fatigue	A state of being overwhelmed or desensitized by frequent alerts and notifications from digital devices, leading to stress or missed important information.
Digital Well-being	A state of physical and mental health achieved through mindful and balanced use of digital technologies.
Algorithmic Feed	A social media or content platform feed that uses algorithms to curate and order content based on user behavior and preferences, aiming to keep users engaged.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All screen time provides the same benefits.

What to Teach Instead

Active screen time builds skills through creation, while passive time often leads to low focus and tiredness. Logging personal examples helps pupils see differences in energy levels. Group sharing corrects overgeneral views with peer evidence.

Common Misconception

Notifications always signal important updates.

What to Teach Instead

Many notifications aim to recapture attention rather than inform. Dissecting app examples reveals manipulative designs. Role-plays let students practice ignoring non-urgent ones, building discernment.

Common Misconception

Healthy balance means cutting screens completely.

What to Teach Instead

Balance involves purposeful use alongside offline play. Designing plans shows sustainable mixes. Collaborative workshops adjust extremes into practical routines.

Active Learning Ideas

Tracking Log: Personal Screen Audit

Students use a provided template to log screen activities for three days, marking each as active or passive and noting mood after. Pairs compare logs to identify patterns. The class graphs results to discuss group trends.

45 min·Pairs

Notification Detective: App Breakdown

In small groups, pupils list notifications from their devices or demo apps, classify them by type, and brainstorm how they encourage repeated checks. Groups present findings with examples. Vote on most persuasive tactics.

35 min·Small Groups

Balance Workshop: Schedule Design

Small groups create visual weekly planners balancing screen time with physical activities, using colours for active/passive. Include rules for notifications. Share and refine based on peer feedback.

50 min·Small Groups

Role-Play Relay: Habit Switch

Whole class lines up; teacher calls scenarios like 'notification buzz.' Students act out passive response then switch to active alternative. Discuss feelings in debrief.

30 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• App developers and UX designers at companies like TikTok and Instagram constantly research user psychology to design features that maximize engagement time, influencing how millions interact with their phones daily.
• Public health campaigns, such as those run by the NHS, often provide guidance on healthy screen time habits for children and adults, recommending specific durations and types of activities to promote physical and mental wellness.
• Professional athletes, like those in the Premier League, often have strict rules about screen time and device usage during training and competition periods to ensure optimal physical and mental performance.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a slip of paper. Ask them to write down one app notification they find particularly attention-grabbing and explain why. Then, have them suggest one way to modify that notification to reduce its pull.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine you have one hour of free time. Would you rather spend it actively creating something on a tablet or passively scrolling through videos? Explain your choice and why it contributes to your well-being.'

Quick Check

Ask students to hold up fingers to indicate their agreement with the statement: 'I can identify at least two ways an app tries to keep me using it.' Follow up by asking a few students to share their examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach Year 5 pupils about active versus passive screen time?

Start with examples: active as making videos or games, passive as watching reels. Have pupils sort their recent activities into categories on sticky notes. Discuss impacts like skill gain versus eye strain, using class data visuals to highlight contrasts. This builds clear distinctions through reflection.

What activities explain how notifications keep us on screens?

Use device demos to show push alerts, then have groups tally types over a lesson. Pupils act out responses in role-plays to feel the pull. Connect to dopamine hits briefly, focusing on recognition over biology. Debriefs reinforce strategies like mute settings.

How can active learning help students grasp screen time and well-being?

Active methods like personal tracking logs and group schedule designs make impacts tangible. Pupils experience fatigue from simulated passive scrolls or energy from active tasks. Collaborative reviews turn data into insights, boosting engagement and self-awareness far beyond lectures.

How to assess understanding of healthy digital balance?

Review pupil planners for realistic mixes of active/passive time and offline elements. Use rubrics for reflection journals noting well-being changes. Peer critiques during shares gauge application. Pre-post surveys track mindset shifts on notifications.