Why Adolescents Are Motivated to Use Technology

Essential question

What is unique about how the adolescent brain processes reward?

Learning intention

Describe how the adolescent brain processes reward.

Lesson vocabulary

Striatum - a structure in the center of the brain that supports learning and responding to rewards. The striatum is divided into the ventral striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens, and the dorsal striatum, which includes the caudate and the putamen
Reward processing - how the brain learns from rewards. The striatum is one part of the brain used for reward processing.
Dopamine - a chemical that is used by the brain to send signals about rewards. Neurons that use dopamine to send signals can be found throughout the brain, including in the striatum.

Lesson materials

Lesson slides
Internet-connected devices for students (alternative activities are suggested if such devices are not available for students in class)
Lesson 1 Review (educators should create their own Google Form distribution links)
Chart Paper
Sticky notes or markers

Lesson standards

CDC National Health Standards for Middle School
2.8.6 Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.

Florida Health Education Standards for Middle School
HE.6 C.2.5, C.2.6, C.2.9
HE.7 C.2.5, C.2.9
HE.8 C.2.6, C.2.9

Lesson plan

Introduction (~15 minutes)
Say: Reflect on a moment where you felt the feeling of reward. How would you describe it?

Say: Turn and talk to your neighbor to each share three examples of when you felt reward.

Label a piece of chart paper with REWARD written in large letters. Invite the students to record their definition of reward on sticky notes. Have them come to the paper in small groups to place their sticky notes (if sticky notes are not available, have students write their response directly on the chart paper). When done, review the responses with the class. What are the similarities, differences, or common themes?

Say: Are you able to think of an activity that you participate in that gives you feelings of reward?

Examples may include running, playing video games, reading, etc. Discuss the connection between receiving the feeling of reward and the action that creates the feeling of reward.

Watch and vocabulary (~10 minutes)
Read the definition of reward to the class.

Say: Each of you identified what makes you FEEL good about doing an activity or receiving something that makes you feel good. Next, we are going to learn about where that feeling comes from in your brain.

Watch “The Reward Circuit” video. Read the subsequent slide about the reward network and dopamine.

Review (or if Module #1 was not used, present) the vocabulary words striatum and reward processing. Present the vocabulary word dopamine.

Brainstorm (~7 minutes)
Ask students to consider how reward relates to technology use, and to write down examples of technology-related activities that may create feelings of reward. Share out to the class verbally and/or by adding to the chart paper.

Watch ( ~10 minutes)
Watch the “Insight Into the Teenage Brain” video.

At the end, have students take the Lesson 1 Review quiz (educators should create their own Google Form distribution links).

If students do not have internet-connected devices to take the quiz, it may be taken with the educator reading the questions out loud for students to answer on their own paper.

Discuss (~5 minutes)
Say: When using technology, or gaming, you receive feelings of reward. The release of dopamine motivates you and excites you to play. This reinforces the connection that using technology, or video games, gives you reward or makes you feel happy.

Remember that the adolescent brain is more sensitive to reward than the child or adult brain. What do you think this means for how much adolescents enjoy using technology, or how much they want to use technology?

Exit slip (~3 minutes)
Say: What stuck with you? Write down three things that stuck with you from this lesson.

If time, have the students share their responses.

Essential question

How do we use technology to satisfy our curiosity?

Learning intention

Students will explore the motivation of curiosity as it relates to learning and technology.

Lesson vocabulary

Curiosity - a desire to know; an interest leading to an inquiry

Lesson materials

Lesson slides
Internet-connected devices for students (alternative activities are suggested if such devices are not available for students in class)
Curiosity Log (digital copies)

Lesson standards

CDC National Health Standards for Middle School
2.8.6 Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.

Florida Health Education Standards for Middle School
HE.6 C.2.6
HE.8 C.2.6

Lesson plan

Introduction (~ 5 minutes)
Ask: What does it mean to be curious? What are some ways you are curious? What are some ways you explore your curiosities?

Discuss each question, noting the students’ responses.

Vocabulary and discussion (~10 minutes)
Read the definition of curiosity and ask students how they satisfy their curiosity. Lead the discussion towards using technology and the internet to satisfy curiosity.

Share with students the pros of using technology to satisfy curiosity. Ask if they can come up with more.

Share with students the cons of using technology to satisfy curiosity. Ask if they can come up with more. Point out that some of the pros are also cons (e.g. access to many resources can be useful, or it can be overwhelming and distracting).

Activity (~20 minutes)
Ask the student to make a copy of the Curiosity Log. Present the activity:

1. Write the search topic on the form.
2. Begin the search by recording the search phrase on the form.
3. Make sure to answer all questions on the form and keep track of time.

Discuss as a class what students searched, how much time they spent searching, and whether they got off track.

If students do not have internet-connected devices in class, ask them to recall a time when they felt curious about something online and spent too much time looking up information about it, or assign this activity for homework.

Watch (~5 minutes)
Watch the WIFI video on curiosity and rabbit holes.

Say: Researchers wanted to see if curiosity would activate the brain’s reward network. They asked people questions that they were curious to learn the answer to, like “What instrument was invented to sound like a human singing?”

Poll students on how curious they are to learn the answer to this question. They can hold up 1 to 5 fingers to show how curious they are.

Say: When people read curious questions like that, part of their brain’s reward network, the striatum, was more active.

If needed, remind students that we have been learning about the striatum and the brain’s reward network.

Tell students that the violin was invented to sound like human singing. Ask them if it felt rewarding to learn the answer.

Wrap up (~10 minutes)
Say: If I didn’t tell you that the answer was violin, you probably could have looked up the answer online. Let’s share about how your Curiosity Log search went. Did you go down the rabbit hole while researching your topic? How did you feel during the search? Excited or bored? Rewarded or curious? Did you run into any Pros and/or Cons that we had previously discussed?

Let students discuss each question.

Say: What are some strategies that can help you stay focussed?

Share the three strategies and allow the students time to add to the list. Other suggestions can be found here.

Essential question

How does social feedback drive us to use technology?

Learning intention

Students will explore the motivation of social feedback as it relates to learning and technology.

Lesson vocabulary

Social feedback - information about the effect of one’s behavior on other people, from other people. Examples of social feedback include laughter, facial expressions, and likes and comments on social media.

Lesson materials

Lesson slides
Internet-connected devices for students (alternative activities are suggested if such devices are not available for students in class)
Social Feedback Jamboard (educators should create their own distribution links)

Lesson standards

CDC National Health Standards for Middle School
2.8.3 Describe how peers influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
2.8.6 Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.

Florida Health Education Standards for Middle School
HE.6 C.2.2, C.2.5, C.2.6, C.2.9
HE.7 C.2.2, C.2.5, C.2.9
HE.8 C.2.2, C.2.6, C.2.9

Lesson plan

Introduction (~5 minutes)
Play the CBS This Morning video about research on adolescent brains and social media use.

Ask students to discuss which aspects of social media use are rewarding.

Vocabulary and discussion (~15 minutes)
Present the vocabulary word social feedback.

Ask students to write down answers to the questions on the “Social feedback” slide. Share the responses with the class.

Activity (~10 minutes)
Have students visit the Social Feedback Jamboard (educators should create their own copy and link to distribute). Review the instructions for the activity (on either the Google Slides or the first Slide of the Jamboard).

Give the students time to respond to the picture. Then review their image responses and discuss their motivations. Tie the social feedback that they gave about the photo to feelings of reward for themselves, and for the other people seeing or receiving that social feedback.

If students do not have personal internet-connected devices, this activity can be replicated by showing the image and having students write their likes/feedback on the board instead.

Analyze (~5 minutes)
Say: We have identified examples of positive and negative social feedback, the feelings associated with social feedback, and some ways we receive social feedback when using technology. Now, let’s learn about what is happening in the adolescent brain during social feedback.

In one study, researchers measured people’s brain activity while they were receiving positive social feedback - a nice note from a peer. This graph shows activity in the striatum for people of different ages. What ages show the greatest striatum activity?

Once students notice that striatum activity is greatest for adolescents, say: Researchers think this may mean that positive social feedback is especially rewarding for adolescents, compared to children and adults, just like we learned other types of rewards activate adolescents’ striatums more.

Discuss (~5 minutes)
Ask: Why do you think adolescents may find positive social feedback especially rewarding? How might this affect the way adolescents use social media, or how much they use social media?

Watch & Discuss (~7 minutes)
Say: Watch this video of Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, discussing how they use social feedback to keep people using social media.

After the video, ask students, what does Sean Parker mean when he says that they are “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology”? Relate his talk of “dopamine hit” to what we have learned about reward and the brain. Prompt discussion about whether social media companies are building things that are good for making themselves money, versus things that are good for kids or good for society.

Wrap up (~3 minutes)
Ask students to thumbs up/thumbs down vote on their answers to the following questions:

1. Did you learn something new today about social feedback and the adolescent brain?
2 Did this lesson cause you to rethink how you engage with social media?
3. Will this lesson change the way you use or act on social media?

Essential question

How does social media and technology condition users to expect rewards from use?

Learning intention

Understand how the process of conditioning applies to social media and technology use.

Lesson vocabulary

Conditioning - a form of learning in which a stimulus (signal) becomes better and better at triggering a response through repeated linking of the stimulus and response
Unconditioned stimulus - something that naturally, automatically triggers a response. For example, tasty food.
Unconditioned response - an unlearned, natural reaction that occurs automatically in response to the unconditioned stimulus. For example, mouth watering when smelling tasty food.
Neutral stimulus - something that triggers no response before learning. For example, a ringing bell that a dog is hearing for the first time.
Conditioned stimulus - something that causes a learned response. For example, the ringing bell after the dog learns that it means tasty food.
Conditioned response - the learned response to the previously neutral stimulus. For example, the dog’s mouth watering after hearing the ringing bell.

Lesson materials

Lesson slides
Technology Conditioning Worksheet (paper copies)

Lesson standards

CDC National Health Standards for Middle School
2.8.6 Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.

Florida Health Education Standards for Middle School
HE.6 C.2.5, C.2.6, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.2, B.6.3
HE.7 C.2.5, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.1, B.6.2, B.6.3
HE.8 C.2.6, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.1, B.6.2, B.6.3

Lesson plan

Introduction (~1 minute)
Say: Have you ever felt your mouth water when you hear the music of an ice cream truck, or automatically packed up your supplies to leave the classroom when you heard the bell? You may not realize it, but you have done those things, you have experienced conditioning. You have learned to associate the sound of the ice cream truck or the classroom bell with a specific response.

Vocabulary (~1 minute)
Read the slide definition for conditioning to students.

Conditioning (~10 minutes)
Say: Ivan Pavlov was a famous scientist who conditioned dogs to associate tasty food with the sound of a ringing bell.

When dogs see or smell tasty food, their mouths water, or they drool. This happens naturally, without any conditioning, or training, needed. In this example, the food is the unconditioned stimulus, and mouth watering is the unconditioned response.

When dogs hear a bell ringing for the first time, they don’t display any response because they don’t yet know what the bell is for. In this example, the bell is the neutral stimulus - it does not evoke any response yet.

Review vocabulary words unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, neutral stimulus, and their definitions.

Say: Ivan Pavlov trained his dogs by always ringing the bell whenever he gave them food.

Say: Eventually, after enough training, the dogs would salivate just to the sound of the bell, even if food was not present. This shows that the dogs have been conditioned, or learned, to associate the ringing bell with food.

Review vocabulary words conditioned stimulus, conditioned response, and their definitions.

Discuss (~5 minutes)
Ask students if they can come up with examples of how technology has conditioned them.

Activity (~20 minutes)
Give students ~10 minutes to illustrate their own example of conditioning by technology on the Technology Conditioning Worksheet.

You may put up the slide with the diagram of Pavlov’s dog to help them remember the different vocabulary words.

When students are done, have them share their responses. Review the vocabulary words and correct as needed. An example of how the worksheet could be completed is provided in the slides.

Discuss (~10 minutes)
Ask students to share their feelings about being conditioned by technology, and if they can think of ways to un-condition themselves.

Strategies could include turning off notifications, doing something else instead of immediately picking up your phone or checking social media, and putting your phone away and not looking at it.

Wrap up (~3 minutes)
Ask students to write down the most interesting thing that they learned.

Optional: Ask students to watch for examples of conditioning in their everyday lives.

Essential question

How does social media and technology use reward to keep users hooked?

Learning intention

Explore how social media and technology is designed to use reward in order to keep users engaged.

Lesson vocabulary

None

Lesson materials

Lesson slides

Lesson standards

CDC National Health Standards for Middle School
1.8.1 Analyze the relationship between healthy behaviors and personal health.
2.8.6 Analyze the influence of technology on personal and family health.
5.8.1 Identify circumstances that can help or hinder healthy decision making.
6.8.2. Develop a goal to adopt, maintain, or improve a personal health practice.

Florida Health Education Standards for Middle School
HE.6 C.1.2, C.1.8, C.2.5, C.2.6, B.5.1, HE.6 C.1.2, C.2.2, C.2.5, C.2.6, C.2.9, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.2, B.6.3
HE.7 C.1.2, C.1.4, C.2.2, C.2.5, C.2.9, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.1, B.6.2, B.6.3
HE.8 C.1.2, C.1.4, C.2.2, C.2.6, C.2.9, B.5.1, B.5.2, B.6.1, B.6.2, B.6.3

Lesson plan

Recap (~ 1 minute)
Remind students what was learned in the previous lessons by reading through the slide.

Watch & Discuss (~5 minutes)
Watch the video about how social media can be like a slot machine. Ask students if that resonates with them, and if they can further explain what that analogy means.

Ask students to share about how the social media slot machine affects their social media use.

Think (~5 minutes)
Ask students what phone notifications have in common, until they note that the notifications are red.

Say: Technology designers use the color red for notifications on purpose to grab your attention.

See how the red apple pops out among the green ones?

We see red as an eye-catching color in nature, like the throat of this bird, and humans also use it as an attention-getting color, like on stop signs.

Discuss (~5 minutes)
Ask students to share what notifications mean to them. Draw the discussion back to what was discussed in previous lessons:

1. notifications signal potential reward
2. notifications make you curious about what the notification is for
3. notifications for social apps promise social feedback
4. we may be conditioned to open up a notification without even realizing that we’re doing it

Brainstorm (~15 minutes)
Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to come up with ways to check notifications less frequently.

Present the slide ideas to the students, and ask them what they think of the gray screen. Ask them to share what other ideas they came up with.

Optional additional activity: Students can look up how to turn off their phone notifications and how to change their phone’s color scheme to gray.

Tie it all together (~15 minutes)
Ask students to make a list of ways in which social media and technology is designed to capture their reward system. They can draw on the ideas previously presented in this module, or come up with their own ideas.

Ask students to share their ideas.

Ideas could include: streaks for playing or engaging every day, loot boxes with unknown contents, showing “...” that someone else is typing something in response

Wrap up (~5 minutes)
Remind students about what we have learned in this module. Ask them to choose at least one concrete change to make to stay in control of their social media and technology use.

If time, ask students to write down a concrete plan for how to make the change and stick to it.