Teaching Students Digital Wellbeing
“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”
In today’s always-connected world, it’s essential for students to learn how to develop a healthy and productive relationship with screens. This curated list of curriculum, films, and books equips educators with engaging tools to help students navigate the digital world with balance and intention. Reach out to us (LINK TO INFO EMAIL) if you need help developing or refining a plan for teaching digital wellbeing.
CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOLS
Some of our favorite lessons, printables, and speakers for students are:
CURRICULUM
Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship (Free, K-12th grades)
A vertical approach to infusing digital wellbeing, with a handful of lessons per grade.
Cyber Civics by Cyberwise ($, 4th-8th grades)
A comprehensive middle school digital literacy curriculum that now extends down to 4th grade. Turn-key and engaging to implement!
Kids Brains and Screens ($, 4th-12th grades)
A 278-page workbook with lessons and activities for students (ages 10+) to learn how screen use affects their brain development. Gives readers the much-needed buy-in to make healthy changes for themselves. Buy a curriculum set or buy the book.
ONLINE COURSE
Khan Academy’s Social Media Literacy Course (Free, 8th-12th grades)
Co-developed with the Center for Humane Technology - a course high school teachers can facilitate to help their students become savvier consumers of social media.
PRINTABLES
Harvard University’s Center for Digital Thriving (Free, 8th-12th grades)
Printable resources and lesson plans to facilitate better conversations with teens about technology that are both critical and optimistic.
Data Detox for Youth (Free, 6th-11th grades)
A set of printable engaging activities to help youth who already have their own devices take control of their tech use. Printing tip: make sure the scale is "fit to paper" so it fits on 8.5x11 size paper.
SPEAKER SERIES
Project Reboot ($, 6th-12th grades)
Great for teens! A collection of lessons, workshops, an assembly, student-led club, and more.
Social Awakening ($, 6th-12th grades)
Very engaging talks for middle and high school students by the talented Max Stossel
FILMS TO CO-WATCH WITH STUDENTS
Films are also great teaching tools and conversation starters. Here are our favorites of varying lengths:
The Screenagers films ($, K-12th grades)
Dr. Delaney Ruston’s series of films (ranging in length from 26 to 70 min and directed at different age groups) include wrap-around materials. We highly recommend the “classroom versions” of each of her films for all audiences:
Screenagers: Growing up in the digital age (updated in 2025, for ages 10+)
Screenagers: Elementary school age edition (2024, for elementary grades)
Screenagers next chapter: Addressing youth mental health in the digital age (2019, for middle and high school grades)
Screenagers under the influence: addressing vaping, drugs, and alcohol in the digital age (2023, for middle and high school grades)
The Teen Brain (Free, 10 min, 2024, 4th-12th grades)
Directed by local Emmy-nominated director Tiffany Shlain, this 10-minute short film, that speaks directly to teens and parents, explores what's happening in the teenage brain. Use these discussion questions to facilitate conversation after watching.
Dino Ambrosi’s Ted Talk (Free, 11 min, 2023, 6th-12th grades)
Dino Ambrosi, the founder of Project Reboot, is a 25-year-old genius, guiding teens and young adults to relationships with technology that empower them.
The Social Dilemma (Netflix, 1.5 hours, 2020, 8th-12th grades)
This documentary-drama hybrid explores the human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.
Additional content: Watch how Photoshop can turn a slice of pizza into a woman. Remember that social media content is often not real.
BOOKS TO CO-READ WITH STUDENTS
Accountable (496 pages, 2023, 6th-12th grades)
Author Dashka Slater tells the gripping true story of a racist social media account that changed everything for a group of San Francisco Bay Area high school students.
The Amazing Generation (coming Dec 2025, 5th-8th grades)
Adapted version of The Anxious Generation. This engaging guide is relevant whether or not students already have smartphones or social media accounts. It’s packed with surprising facts, a graphic novel, interactive challenges, secrets that tech leaders don’t want kids to know, and real-life anecdotes from young adults who want to help the next generation avoid making the same mistakes they did.
Blackout (2011, preschool through 5th grades)
This Caldecott Honor picture book shows how much fun you can have when the power goes out and no one has access to their electronics. A great read-aloud with younger kids!
If you need help finding ways to support digital wellbeing efforts at your school, reach out to us at info@screensense.org.
Where to Next?
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Services
We offer Parent-Ed presentations as well as custom consulting for schools.
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Phone-Free Schools
Resources for implementing personal device policies at your school.
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OneStep Blog
Monthly tips for teaching healthy tech use. Great resource to share with parents