Year 8 · RSHE (PSHE) · beta

Media influence: What's a healthy way to spend my time online?

This unit explores the impact of online time on wellbeing, including effects on sleep, body image, self-esteem and learning. Pupils learn to recognise healthy and unhealthy online habits, understand how curated content affects them, and develop practical strategies for balanced digital lives.

This is an attributed Oak National Academy lesson sequence, not a completed or academically approved DASKEREL course. Supporting transcripts may depend on video, images, practical equipment or teacher explanation. Follow each lesson’s supervision guidance. For religious education and RSHE, follow the school’s syllabus, policy and safeguarding procedures.

Prior knowledge

  • Pupils should understand from Year 7 that online content can present distorted pictures of reality and that not everything shared online is true or represents real life accurately.
  • Pupils should be familiar with basic online safety and digital wellbeing concepts from previous units, including the importance of balancing screen time with other activities.
  • Pupils should know from earlier learning about the benefits of physical activity, sleep and spending time with others for mental and physical health and overall wellbeing.

Source curriculum references

  • The importance of self-esteem, independence and having a positive relationship with oneself, and how these characteristics support healthy relationships with others.
  • The benefits and importance of physical activity, sleep, time outdoors, community participation and volunteering or acts of kindness for mental wellbeing and happiness.
  • The benefits of limiting time spent online.
  • The risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices.
  • The impact of unhealthy or obsessive comparison with others online (including through setting unrealistic expectations for body image).
  • How people may curate a specific image of their life online.
  • The impact that an over-reliance on online relationships, including relationships formed through social media, can have.
  • How to be a discerning consumer of information online, understanding the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation online, including conspiracy theories.
  • The importance of sufficient good-quality sleep for good health.
  • How a lack of sleep can affect weight, mood and ability to learn.

Oak source metadata. DASKEREL has not independently verified school-level coverage.

Loading lessons…