Social Media and Your Mental Health

A Dramatic Monologue

 

Language Arts/STEAM Challenge

 

Submission Due Date: April 5, 2024

Designed for Middle and High School Students

Adapted by work from Charlotte Freniere and Carlo Muscarella, students at Colby College, 2023

Table of Contents The Challenge Assumptions and Logistics Process Meridian Support Resources Presentation of Learning Evaluation Rubric Essential Questions Student Proficiencies Curricular Correlations (W3, W4, W5, W9, SL1, SL4, L3, L5)

Range of Activities  ·       Exploration of Studies on Technology/Social Media and Mental Health ·       Personal Exploration of Relationship Between Tech and Self ·       Dramatic Monologue Genre Analysis and Creation ·       Character Creation ·       Script Writing ·       Interviewing Skills with Peers ·       Digital Literacy Skills – Video – Pre-production, Production and Post-production ·       Human Skills: Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Presentational Skills

The Challenge

Facebook, Instagram, VSCO, BeReal, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter

These social media platforms give their users a forum to share text, photos, and videos of their lives with their family, friends, and their larger communities. Technology is a useful tool in enhanced forms of education, information, communication, and amusement. However, being ‘connected’ can have its consequences. Studies have shown that there is a correlation with heavy social media use and increased risk for poor mental health.

In this challenge, your team is asked to conduct research on the effect of technology on mental health. In addition to outside research, students will interview individuals and ask them questions about a social media app they use. The intent of these interviews is to uncover the not-so-pleasant effects that our mobile devices have on us. After the interviews, your team will analyze the content from the interviews, as combined with your research, to create a fictional character that embodies the multiple perspectives gathered about one’s relationship with their mobile device(s). You will then write a monologue for this character and shoot him/her/them. Your story needs to include how technology has impacted the individuals’ mental health. How you make this imaginary character and how you frame the character – talking directly to the camera or to an imaginary or real audience – is up to you. Welcome to The Dramatic Monologue – a beguiling and exciting form of expression.

Deliverables include:

• The Dramatic Monologues (this is the only Meridian Stories deliverable)
• Interview Questions (at teacher’s discretion)
• Thematic Elements (at teacher’s discretion)
• Draft Monologue (at teacher’s discretion)

Assumptions and Logistics

• Time Frame – We recommend that this digital storytelling project takes place inside of a three to five-week time frame.

• Length – All Meridian Stories submissions should be under 4 minutes in length, unless otherwise specified.
• Slate – All digital storytelling projects must begin with a slate that provides: 
  • the title of the piece;
  • the name of the school submitting;      
  • the wording ‘Permission Granted’ which gives Meridian Stories the right to a) publicly display the submission in question on, as linked from, related to or in support of Meridian Stories digital media; and b) use or reference it for educational purposes only, in any and all media; and
  • We strongly recommend that students do not put their last names on the piece either at the start or finish, during the credits.

• Submissions – Keep in mind that each school can only submit three submissions per Competition (so while the entire class can participate in any given Challenge, only three can be submitted to Meridian Stories for Mentor review and scoring).
• Teacher Reviews – All reviews by the teacher are at the discretion of the teacher and all suggested paper deliverables are due only to the teacher. The only deliverable to Meridian Stories is the digital storytelling project.
• Teacher’s Role and Technology Integrator – While it is helpful to have a Technology Integrator involved, they are not usually necessary: the students already know how to produce the digital storytelling project. And if they don’t, part of their challenge is to figure it out. They will! The teacher’s primary function in these Challenges is to guide the students as they engage with the content.  You don’t need to know editing, sound design, shooting or storyboarding: you just need to know your content area, while assisting them with organization and time management issues. See the Teachers Role section of the website for further ideas about classroom guidance.
• Digital Rules/Literacy – We strongly recommend that all students follow the rules of Digital Citizenry in their proper usage and/or citation of images, music and text taken from other sources. This recommendation includes producing a citations page at the end of your entry, if applicable. See the Digital Rules area in the Meridian Stories Digital Resource Center section of the site for guidance.
• Location – Try not to shoot in a classroom at your school. The classroom, no matter how you dress it up, looks like a classroom and can negatively impact the digital story you are trying to tell.
• Collaboration – We strongly recommend that students work in teams of 3-4: part of the educational value is around building collaborative skill sets. But students may work individually.

 

Process

Below is a suggested breakdown for the students’ work.

During Phase I, student teams will: 

• Conduct research on the studies between mental health and technology use. Find, read, discuss, and look at a variety of sources online or in your libraries to get enough knowledge on the topic so that you are prepared to create your interview questions. We recommend using three different, contemporary sources for this initial research phase.
  • Note: This information will be critical in the creation of the dramatic monologue script and character. The research will connect to content discovered through the interview process described below.
• After researching the connections between mental health and technology usage, create a list of questions to ask the interviewees. You should aim to create ten questions and target interviewing between five and ten individuals. Possible questions to explore are:
  • What is a social media app on your phone that you would say you spend the most time on? Why does it make you happy?
  • What does that app do for you in a positive way? Do you think that this app affects you in a negative way? Any downsides?
    • Teacher’s Option: Interview Questions – Teachers may require that teams hand in their ten proposed interview questions for review and feedback.
• Interview your select peers.
• The content collected from the interviewees through the interview process will be confidential. This is to invite the most honest and transparent responses.
  • Note: All of the information collected in the interviews will be confidential: the information being gathered is for the purposes of creating a new, fictional character that represents a wide swath of perspectives on this topic. The interviewees will not be recorded visually. We do recommend, with consent from the interviewee, that students take audio recordings of the interviewees speaking, in order to maintain accuracy. However, note taking may work just as well.
• This Challenge can also include your own experiences and aspects of your own identity. You can choose if they would like to be a part of the interview process and become a part of the creation of their character (described in phase II).

• Once the interviews are completed, combine your research (secondary source information) with your interviews (primary source information) to come up with four or five ideas or themes that will serve as the main thrust of your dramatic monologue. Through this process, students should be looking for trends – commonalities – within the interviewee’s responses. Some questions to help are:

• How are some of these answers similar? Is there a common thread? How are some of the responses different? What are some common problems with technology use that have come up? What are the positives and the negatives?

• • In analyzing and discussing the content from the interviews and prior research, be careful to not make hasty generalizations or assumptions. Be as real and authentic as possible.
    • Teacher’s Option: Thematic Elements – Teachers may require that teams hand in an articulation of the themes that they will explore in their character creation and monologue.
• By the end of Phase I, you should have a clear sense of the main ideas that will be included in the dramatic monologue.

During Phase II, student teams will: 

• Now it’s time to create a character: a new fictional character – with a name and look and perhaps some props – who your team believes will be an effective vehicle for the ideas that you have gathered. There is no right or wrong answer here. But in order for your words to be heard we, the audience, need to trust the speaker.

• This character should embody the thoughts, characteristics, and traits of all of the responses from the interviewees, as complemented by your research. Here’s another way to look at this part of the challenge: you are chatGPT and with the data that you have collected, create a person to represent all these ideas, all this data. EXCEPT, you are not chatGPT: you are human, …creating another human, who is designed to speak for a portion of your generation. Heavy stuff. But cool, and …so important.

• The first step is to write a succinct character description. One approach may be for each team member to write their own description – selecting gender, name, clothing style, manner of speaking, outside interests and favorite social media platforms and personas on those platforms – and then compare notes and come up with a singular character description. Write up that description.
• You have three steps left to take:

1. Cast someone to play this character, and dress and accessorize them accordingly – this is your first step.
2. Focus on the staging of this dramatic monologue; and
3. Write the words for this character.

• Here are some questions to help guide you through Step #2:
• Who is this character speaking to?

• Options can include:
  • An invisible live audience that we never see
  • A real live audience
  • A social media audience
  • Directly to camera (selfie-style or otherwise), with no particular indications of who is watching.

• In this video, students need to determine who they are targeting. Is it:

• Your generation as a whole?
• The adults of your world?
• A niche group of like-minded peers?
• None of the above?

• As a team, play around with these questions until you come up with the right mix of speaker and audience. Again, there are not right or wrong choices. Once you have made some choices, what are the visuals to bring this to life? Think setting, lighting, character movement, props, and different camera angles – close-ups and medium shots, for starters.
• For Step #3, we move to script writing. What is the story you have found through the interview process? How are you embedding your ideas into a story spoken by one person that is designed to engage, to enthrall?

• You do want the experience of viewing your dramatic monologues to result in a deeper understanding of how technology relates to mental health, especially as it relates to your age group.

• Draft your monologue, paying close attention to 1) how you’re using language to 2) craft the voice of your speaker to 3) effectively tell your story and 4) reach the target audience you have identified in 5) the setting you have created. That’s the trick of this format. This sounds like a lot. But this can be so much fun.

• Teacher’s Option: Draft Monologue – Teachers may require that teams hand in a draft of their monologue for review and feedback.

• Based on feedback, revise your script.
• Before moving into the shoot, keep in mind the thoughts of this fictional character, the story, the visual setting, the words chosen, the text exchanges, the rhythm of the language, the simplicity of the imagery, the use of voice and facial expressions…there are so many pathways into an effective dramatic monologue: be sure to consider them all.

During Phase III, student teams will:

• Stage your monologues. As part of your work in Phase II, you will want to have discussed the speaker’s relationship to the camera.
  • In your thinking, discuss as a team how you plan to edit this. Will the monologue be recorded more or less in one shot, with the camera panning slowly around the speaker, punctuated by a single cut to the second part of the monologue? Or do you plan on presenting this in a jump-cut, jittery style where the quick editing style is half the story being told? These are just two of many options to consider. But discussing your editing plans will affect how you shoot this.
• While you are figuring out the staging of this, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. The performance of these monologues is a critical part of this Challenge.

• Pre-produce the scene:

• Scout locations for shooting (if this is being shot on location);
• Create costumes, props and other set pieces, as needed;
• Prepare the logistics for the actual shooting of the scene; and
• Rehearse the scene…one more time.

• Shoot the video.
• Edit the video, adding stills and graphics as desired.
• Post-produce the video, adding music and sound effects as desired.

 

 

 

 

Meridian Support Resources

Meridian Stories provides two forms of support for the student teams: 1.    Meridian Innovators and Artists – This is a series of three-to-four minute videos featuring artists and innovative professionals who offer important advice, specifically for Meridian Stories, in the areas of creativity and production. 2.    Media Resource Collection – These are short documents that offer student teams key tips in the areas of creativity, production, game design and digital citizenry. Recommended review, as a team, for this Challenge include:
Meridian Innovators and Artists	Media Resource Collection
Interviewing Techniques – Tom Pierce On the Importance of Character in Storytelling – Scott Nash On Acting – Janet McTeer On Non-Fiction Writing – Margaret Heffernan	“Conducting an Interview” “Building Characters” “Video Editing Basics” “Producing – Tips for the Video Shoot”

Presentation of Learning

Meridian Stories is a proud partner of the non-profit Share Your Learning, which is spearheading the movement of over five million students to publicly share their work as a meaningful part of their educational experience.

The workforce considers Presentational Skills to be a key asset and we encourage you to allow students to practice this skill set as often as possible. These digital storytelling projects provide a great opportunity for kids to practice their public presentational skills. This can be achieved in a remote learning environment by inviting parents to a Zoom/Google/Skype screening of the student’s digital stories.

According to Share Your Learning, Presentations of Learning (POL) promote…

• Student Ownership, Responsibility & Engagement. POLs can serve as a powerful rite of passage at the end of [a project]. By reflecting on their growth over time in relation to academic and character goals, grounded in evidence from their work, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning. Just as an artist wants their portfolio to represent their best work, POLs encourage students to care deeply about the work they will share.
• Community Pride & Involvement. When peers, teachers and community members come together to engage with student work and provide authentic feedback, they become invested in students’ growth and serve as active contributors to the school community.
• Equity. POLs ensure that all students are seen and provide insight into what learning experiences students find most meaningful and relevant to their lives.

Meridian Stories’ own research indicates this to be a really useful exercise for one additional reason:  Students actually learn from their peers’ presentations – it is useful to hear a perspective that is not just the teacher’s.

It is with this in mind that we you encourage you to plan an event – it could be just an end-of-the-week class or an event where parents, teachers and student peers are invited – to allow the students to showcase their Meridian Stories’ digital storytelling projects. For more free resources that will support this planning, visit Share Your Learning.

 

Evaluation Rubric – Social Media and your Mental Health: A Dramatic Monologue

CONTENT COMMAND
Criteria	1-10
Research	It is evident that the students have gathered a foundational amount of study-informed information through the research process in the creation of their monologue.
Interviews	The dramatic monologue is thoughtful and personal, as clearly informed by the content of the interviews that were conducted.
Social Media and Mental Health	Final presentation of the monologue represents a range of incisive ideas on technology, social media, and mental health.
STORYTELLING COMMAND
Criteria	1-10
Character Creation	Clear thought has gone into who this character is, and what viewpoints they represent. All of the voices from the interviews are adeptly combined into the single voice of this character.
Dramatic Monologue Genre	The monologue is dynamic and engaging, resulting in a singular, cohesive narrative that the audience can understand and relate to.  The dramatic monologue genre is clearly understood and executed with acuity and flair.
Audience	The piece clearly identifies an audience and this decision enhances the viewer experience.
MEDIA COMMAND
Criteria	1-10
Acting	The acting in the monologue is exciting and engaging, contributing to the scene’s success.
Setting and Cinematography	The setting and use of the camera enhance the action of the scene, creating the necessary tension and tone, including expansive use of camera shots, angles, and other cinematographic techniques.
Editing, Sound and Music	The scene is edited cleanly and effectively.   The selective use of music and sound effects in the final video enhances the storytelling
HUMAN SKILLS COMMAND (for teachers only)
Criteria	1-10
Collaborative Thinking	In the pre-production and creation process, the group demonstrated flexibility in making compromises and valued the contributions of each group member. All voices and ideas are included in the final video.
Creativity and Innovation	The group brainstormed many inventive ideas for the monologue and were able to evaluate, refine and implement them effectively in the creation of their character.
Initiative and Self-Direction	The group set attainable goals, worked independently, and managed their time effectively, demonstrating a disciplined commitment to the project.

 

Essential Questions

1. What is the relationship between technology and mental health today?
2. How does interviewing allow deeper and more profound understanding of all content and, more specifically, this relationship?
3. How does communication through a monologue shape the essence of the communication?
   1. How does one effectively express ideas through the literary filter of another’s character and voice?
4. How does performance effect the impact of the communication?
5. How has immersion in the creation of original content and the production of digital media – exercising one’s creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy skills – deepened the overall educational experience?
6. How has working on a team – practicing one’s collaborative skills – changed the learning experience?

Student Proficiencies

1. The student will have explored and articulated the impact of social media and technology on mental health.
2. The student will understand the importance and value of interviews – primary source information – in building a knowledge base.
3. The student will understand the novelty, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of the monologue format. Additionally, the student, by communicating through a ‘character’ will gain a greater appreciation of the power and challenge of creating a character.
4. The student will have a greater awareness of the dimensions that performance brings to language and communication.
5. The student will utilize key human skills, with a focus on creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy, in their process of translating research and interview content into a digital format.
6. The student will have an increased awareness of the challenges and rewards of team collaboration. Collaboration – the ability to work with others – is considered one of the most important 21^st century skills to develop in students as they prepare for life after secondary school.

 

Curricular Correlations 

The Dramatic Monologue Challenge addresses a range of curricular objectives that have been articulated by the Common Core Curricular Standards – English Language Arts and the CDC’s National Health Education Standards (NHES). Below please find the standards that are addressed, either wholly or in part.

Common Core Curricular Standards – English Language Arts Standards

Standards	5th	8th	9th/10th	11th/12th
W3   WRITING   Text Types and Purposes	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W4   WRITING   Production and Distribution of Writing	Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.	Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.	Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.	Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W5   WRITING   Production and Distribution of Writing	With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach	With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well the purpose and audience have been addressed.	Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.	Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
W9 WRITING Research to Build and Present Knowledge	Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.	Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.	Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.	Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
SL1   SPEAKING AND LISTENING   Comprehension and Collaboration	Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.	Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.	Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.	Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one- on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SL4   SPEAKING AND LISTENING   Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas	Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.	Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.	Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.	Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
L3   LANGUAGE   Knowledge of Language	Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.	Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.	Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.	Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
L5   LANGUAGE   Vocabulary Acquisition and Use	Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.	Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.	Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.	Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

National Health Education Standards

Standard 2: Students analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, social media, technology, and other determinants on health behaviors.

By the end of 5^th Grade…

2.5.4 Explain how media, social media, and technology (e.g., television, movies, video games, advertisements, apps, and other screen time) influence health behaviors.

2.5.5 Identify positive internal and external influences on personal health behaviors.

2.5.6 Identify negative internal and external influences on personal health behaviors.

By the end of 8^th grade…

2.8.4 Explain how perceptions of social norms and expectations influence healthy and unhealthy behaviors.

2.8.5 Analyze how media, social media, and technology (e.g., television, movies, video games, advertisements, apps, and other screen time) influence health behaviors.

By the end of 12th grade…

2.12.6 Evaluate messages conveyed in media, social media, and technology (e.g.,    television, movies, video games, advertisements, apps, and other screen time) to determine their influence on health behaviors.

Standard 5: Students demonstrate effective decision-making skills to enhance health.

 

By the end of 5^th Grade…

5.5.4 Identify options when making a health-related decision.

5.5.6 Choose a health-promoting option that aligns with personal values when making an effective decision.

 

By the end of 8^th grade…

5.8.3 Explain how family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors can affect a health decision.

5.8.5 Discuss alternatives when making health decisions.

5.8.6 Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy consequences for each alternative.

By the end of 12th grade…

5.12.5 Analyze how family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors influence personal beliefs when making a health decision.

5.12.6 Generate alternatives to risky behaviors or stressful situations when making a health decision for self or others.