For young people, it can be hard to avoid seeing disturbing video content, and even harder to deal with that content. Whether it’s graphic images that come up on their social media feeds, scenes of conflict plastered across the news, or something else, it’s important that they have coping strategies in place to help them manage their experiences.
Learning Intention
Students explore the impacts that seeing disturbing videos can have on their mental health and wellbeing, and identify coping strategies they can use to help manage their experiences.
Key Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- reflect on the impact that disturbing videos can have on their mental health and wellbeing
- identity strategies they can use to help them cope with seeing disturbing videos.
activity 01
Think, pair, share: Understanding disturbing videos 20 min
Teacher note: When delivering this lesson, it’s important to set up and maintain a safe and respectful learning environment. Refrain from viewing or sharing disturbing videos, images or any other content of a graphic nature, as this material can be emotionally harmful. If students come across any unsettling content, encourage them not to share this and to promptly notify a teacher.
To help you feel more confident when teaching this lesson, you could access eSafety’s resources on inappropriate content and disturbing content.
- Think: Start the lesson by asking students to take a few minutes to jot down their initial thoughts on what the term ‘disturbing videos’ means to them. Encourage them to think about where they might come across disturbing video content, how it makes them feel and how they might typically respond to it.
- Pair: Students pair up with a classmate to discuss their thoughts. Encourage students to share with each other any personal experiences they may have had with seeing disturbing video content.
- Share: Invite a few pairs of students to share their experiences with the whole class. Facilitate a brief discussion to highlight common reactions and emotions students might experience. Try out these prompt questions:
- What is an example of a video that you find disturbing?
- What feelings or reactions do you typically experience when you come across disturbing videos?
- How do you think seeing a disturbing video can impact your mental health and wellbeing?
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