NEWBIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Read the situations and the different answers through together. Pick the option that you think is best. You can also talk about the examples together.
START THE TEST
DO NOT SPREAD NASTY RUMOURS ABOUT ANYBODY.
Eeli just got a new mobile phone – it’s the latest Huawei. Oliver is jealous, because Oliver only got his sister’s old phone. Oliver tells his classmate Ville that Eeli’s phone was probably stolen. Ville starts to spread a rumour in the class’s WhatsApp group that Eeli’s brother stole the phone for Eeli. What should Oliver have done?
Oliver was allowed to tell Ville that he felt bad, because jealousy is a natural feeling. Still, Oliver shouldn’t have made up a lie about Eeli’s phone.
Nothing. He just told Ville the story as a joke.
Oliver should’ve just congratulated Eeli about his nice new phone. It's great that his friend got the latest model – maybe they could test the new features together!
It’s fine. Yes, it’s OK to tell a friend or parent that you feel bad if you’re jealous. However, making up lies is not nice at all. Do not spread nasty rumours about anybody.
That’s not good. It’s not okay to spread nasty rumours, not even as a joke. Do not spread nasty rumours about anybody.
It's great that you can be happy for a friend! Jealousy is a natural feeling, and you can talk about it. However, you shouldn’t be mean to others or make up lies because of jealousy.
- Completed
ADDING NASTY COMMENTS TO PICTURES FEELS BAD AND IT MAKES OTHERS FEEL SAD.
Aino just got a new pair of glasses. Ella sees a family photo of Aino online, where Aino’s glasses are a total mess. Ella says in the class’s WhatsApp group that the glasses are ugly and they don’t suit Aino at all. Should Ella have commented on the glasses?
Ella can have an opinion about the glasses, but there’s no reason to share it on a WhatsApp group. She could just talk about it with her friends.
Ella is allowed to state her opinion. Not everybody has to agree on glasses.
Ella can have an opinion about the glasses, but there’s no reason to make Aino feel bad by making mean comments. Ella shouldn’t have commented on the glasses at all.
Not exactly. If Ella tells their friends that Aino’s glasses are terrible, Aino probably won’t feel great either. Nasty comments feel bad both on social media and face to face. If your opinion makes the other person feel sad, you shouldn’t comment on the glasses at all.
Ouch, that missed the point. There’s no reason to make Aino feel bad even if Ella didn’t like the glasses. Nasty comments feel bad, so there’s no need to tell your opinion if it makes the other person feel sad.
You’re right! If your opinion makes the other person feel sad, you shouldn’t comment on the glasses at all.
- Completed
DO NOT SHARE PICTURES OR VIDEO OF OTHER PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
During recess, Eeli shares a video that shows how Pihla stumbles on the stairs, looking funny. Eeli thinks the video is fun, so he decides to share it on his YouTube channel. It makes Pihla sad, and she asks Eeli to take down the video. Eeli removes it from his channel, but Kalle on the parallel class has already downloaded it on his phone and is sharing it with his friends. What should Eeli have done?
Nothing. The video was funny and Pihla got upset about nothing. Eeli had the right to take a video in the yard at school.
Eeli shouldn’t have shared the video without Pihla’s permission.
Eeli could’ve asked Pihla’s opinion about sharing the video, but Eeli had the right to share it either way.
Ouch, that missed the point. Always remember to ask for permission first, because sharing pictures and video of other people without their permission is not allowed.
Great, that’s the right answer! Do not share pictures or video of other people without their permission.
Nice try, but still not right. Always remember to ask the other person for permission first! If you don’t get permission, you can’t publish the picture or video.
- Completed
DO NOT LEAVE ANYBODY OUTSIDE THE GROUP.
Pihla creates a new WhatsApp group. She invites everybody in her class to the group except for Eeli, because Pihla is still mad at Eeli for sharing the video. Should Pihla have invited Eeli to the group, too?
No, she didn’t need to do that. Pihla has the right to decide who she invites into her group.
Pihla should’ve forgiven Eeli for his mistake and added him to the group just like everybody else.
Pihla could’ve added Eeli to the group, too, because she still has the option of removing Eeli from the group later if she wants.
That’s not good. Even though Eeli messed up earlier, you still cannot leave anybody outside the group.
It’s great that you can forgive. Everybody makes mistakes, but you can learn from them. Do not leave anybody outside the group.
Not exactly. It’s not nice to add someone to the group first and then remove them later. It would be better to just forgive the mistake instead of waiting and making a scene later. Do not leave anybody outside the group.
- Completed
NOT EVERYBODY YOU MEET ONLINE REALLY IS WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE.
Ella has heard that a lot of her classmates play Minecraft and chat there. With her mother’s permission, Ella joins the game and starts talking to Leo. Ella and Leo talk for several days, until Leo starts saying really weird stuff. Ella hears that other girls have also talked to Leo. Later they find out that Leo is actually Miro, an older boy from upper comprehensive school, who had made a fake profile on Minecraft with his friends. What should Ella have done when Leo started saying weird stuff?
Nothing. Everybody says something a bit strange sometimes.
Ella should’ve told her friends about Leo’s messages so that they could avoid Leo.
Ella should’ve told her parents about the messages, and then the parents could’ve found out why Leo’s messages were strange.
This is not the best answer. It's true that everybody says something odd or strange sometimes, but Ella should’ve told her parents about the messages. That’s because not everybody you meet online really is who they say they are. It’s the parents’ job to find out who writes weird messages and why.
It’s good to tell your friends about weird messages, but it’s also important to tell your parents about them. That’s because not everybody you meet online really is who they say they are. It’s the parents’ job to find out who writes weird messages and why.
Yes! That’s the best answer! Not everybody you meet online really is who they say they are. It’s the parents’ job to find out who writes weird messages and why.
- Completed
GREAT, YOU FINISHED THE TEST TOGETHER! THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR MORE DISCUSSION.
At If, we want to help parents to protect their children from the empathy deficit online. Here’s a checklist you can print out and stick on your fridge.
In addition to the ‘Newbies on social media’ test, we will continue to make the children’s trip to school safe by giving Newbie hats to first graders in the autumn as usual.
- Valmis