WORKSHOP #3: THE INTERNET.

INTRO
ACTIVITY 1 10mins ACTIVITY 2.0 5mins ACTIVITY 2.1 15mins CONCLUSION 8mins 40MINS

INTRO [2 minutes]
REMINDER OF THEME: Self Image. Remind students that self image is the idea we have about how ourselves look. RECAP LAST SESSIONS: Learnt about body image in magazines, films and TV and how they think the body should appear. That media is a construction that re-represents reality. What is medias body ideal? Discuss answer. INTRODUCE WORKSHOP: Tell students that in this workshop we shall be looking into body image in social networking, like Facebook and MySpace. How ideas on body image are entering our own day-to-day social lives.

ACTIVITY 1: Photography. [10 minutes]

Get students to arrange themselves into groups/pairs suitable to the amount of photographic cameras available. Tell them to have fun with the cameras and take pictures of each other as they might do if they were going to upload to a social network to share with their friends. Remind them that they dont have to take part but we will take part if they do. Explain camera functions and how to work it briefly. (Note: If no one wants to participate, or very few then that is fine. Ask nonparticipants, if they feel comfortable answering, why it is they chose not to) To ask individuals about the photos they capture: Why do you think you took this photo with this angle/pose/editing? Would you upload this to a social network like Facebook? Reason for answer. What do you like about the photos? Is there anything you dont like about the photos?

ACTIVITY 2.0: Social Networking. [5 minutes]

Tell them we now want to talk about social networking. Ask: Raise your hand if you have Facebook? What about any other social networking sites?

FOR YEAR 10s:

Ask: Can you think of any trends on the Internet we could talk about and look at? Share and show (suitable) ideas amongst the class. (I.e. Harlem Shake, Hot or Not Videos, Tumblr pictures/quotes (heavily edited hipsters), Competition for the most beautiful teenager Facebook Page, Like for honest opinion/best profile pic/rating of looks, Outrageous videos for attention) For each trend discussed: Do you think this is good or bad advocate for body image? Why? Bring attention to the fact that social media and the Internet now gives us the power to create the media we see everyday. Were the ones that upload and share photos, videos, statuss, tweets and more and we decide what ourselves and our friends see. Ask:

How could social networking be a bad thing for body image? (Promoting bad ideals ourselves so that we see them more and more. People will try to get the nicest photos possible, like we had earlier in the session, which might make other people feel bad.) How could social networking and the Internet be a good thing? (It allows us to take control of the media and what ourselves and our friends see. Instead of promoting bad body image ideas we can promote good healthy ones, focusing on peoples abilities and experiences rather than the way they look.)

ACTIVITY 2.1: Promoting good body image. [15 minutes]

In small groups: promote healthy body image by making a piece of content that can feature in the final film of the project. They can record themselves, make a poster, or take images that will help people feel good about themselves, celebrate different looks, and promote healthy living and body image. One suggestion might be to come up with a slogan. They can use the hand out of media literacy concepts to remind them what theyve learnt and the right questions to ask about the media.

FOR YEAR 10s:

This age group are also recommended, if they wish, to login to their own social networks to promote the same messages directly themselves: that will help people feel good about themselves, celebrate different looks, and promote healthy living and body image.

CONCLUSION [8 minutes]
Class summary and discussion on what we found. Ask to share what they done to promote healthy body image and praise them. Remember whenever you see something in the media that makes you feel bad ask: WHO created the media product? WHY are they creating the media product? (What is its purpose?) HOW does this influence the content and how its communicated? (What does the creator do to achieve their purpose?) WHAT techniques have been used to achieve this? (Photomanipulation, makeup, lighting, word-play)

Go through these examples:

Magazines: WHO? The advertiser or magazine company. WHY? To sell their products/magazines and get attention. HOW? Makes models and celebs seem perfect, to make us feel bad and want the products or advice more. Makes us look up to certain people and want to be them, which means we will buy more magazines to find out more about that person. WHAT? Usually photo-manipulation, lighting, hair & makeup, camera angles, certain poses, often unhealthy dieting, very selective model agencies. Films & TV: WHO? Production Company/financial driven funders. WHY? To get attention and people to watch which makes them money. To promote certain ideas. HOW? Creates over-the-top, unrealistic characters, who are out of the ordinary to make us interested. This means idealising thin, perfect characters with big personalities that producers know sell programmes and films. They are all the same because they know that that is what makes money, so it is the safest option. WHAT? Creative writing and character design, very specific casting, lighting, camera angles, hair & makeup, sometimes unhealthy dieting. Social Networking: WHO? Us, normal people. WHY? For attention and recognition, to be accepted by others and share ourselves and our experiences. HOW? This makes people very cautious of what they do, wanting to always be their best and often they will do mostly anything to be recognised and accepted. We all do, its human nature. WHAT? All manner of means. On the Internet you can appear how every you want (whether through what you say, how you look, etc) but the one person we need to be is ourselves! Explain that if students question the media they consume, and be honest and thoughtful about the media they create they will be much happier.