Attention Economy Lesson
By Graphene - Digital Life Lessons
This attention economy lesson helps grades 7–12 students explore social media screen time, platform design, persuasive technology, digital citizenship, media literacy, digital literacy, and phone habits. Students are not just users of free apps. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social media apps, their attention is part of the business model. Students analyze design tactics like infinite scroll, notifications, autoplay, variable rewards, streaks, disappearing stories, and likes, then complete a private habit audit with optional screen time checking. This resource helps students understand how platforms compete for attention without turning the lesson into a simple anti-technology message. This is a low-prep, structured discussion lesson designed to help students think clearly, not tell them what to think. It gives teachers a practical way to discuss screen time, persuasive design, and social media habits without shaming students or requiring them to share private screen time data. Check my blogpost that dives a bit deeper. Useful for media literacy, digital citizenship, digital literacy, advisory, health class, technology class, life skills, counseling, screen time lessons, or any unit on social media, platform design, and persuasive technology. This activity is part of the Social Media and Digital Life bundle — a set of 7 activities covering social media safety, the attention economy, FOMO and social comparison, doomscrolling, cancel culture,
Find it on: Teachers Pay Teachers