Introduction
Social media has become a huge part of teenagers’ daily lives. Students use platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to communicate, learn, and entertain themselves. While social media helps people stay connected and informed, many believe it can also negatively affect mental health, academic performance, and real-life relationships.
In this WebQuest, students will explore both the positive and negative effects of social media. They will investigate online articles, videos, and discussions to answer this important question:
Is social media more helpful or more harmful to teenagers?
Task
Students will research the effects of social media on teenagers using online resources. After gathering information, they will create an argumentative essay, presentation, or class debate explaining their opinion on whether social media is beneficial or harmful.
Students must:
- analyze information from online sources,
- express their opinions clearly,
- support their ideas with evidence and examples,
- and present their final output confidently.
Process
- Watch videos and read articles about social media and teenagers.
- Take notes about the positive and negative effects of social media.
- Discuss findings with classmates or group members.
- Decide your position:
- Social media is more helpful
- or Social media is more harmful
- Organize your arguments and supporting evidence.
- Create your final output:
- argumentative essay,
- PowerPoint presentation,
- poster,
- or debate speech.
- Present your work to the class.
Evaluation
|
Criteria |
Excellent |
Good |
Needs Improvement |
|
Research Skills |
Used reliable sources and strong evidence |
Used some supporting evidence |
Limited evidence provided |
|
Critical Thinking |
Arguments were clear and well explained |
Arguments were understandable |
Arguments lacked clarity |
|
Organization |
Ideas were organized and logical |
Mostly organized |
Difficult to follow |
|
Presentation/Writing |
Communicated confidently and clearly |
Minor errors present |
Needed more preparation |
|
Participation |
Actively participated in activities |
Participated most of the time |
Limited participation |
Conclusion
Through this WebQuest, students learned that social media has both positive and negative effects depending on how it is used. They developed important English skills such as reading, writing, speaking, researching, and critical thinking while exploring a real-world issue that affects their everyday lives. Most importantly, students reflected on how responsible social media use can influence their relationships, studies, and future decisions.