Online communication can be sorted into two categories:

1. Complete the 'Communication change template'.
2. Upload the template to the 'Communication change submission'.

Phones

Smartphones and 'dumb' phones
Watch the next video to hear from some people who have chosen to use 'dumb' phones rather than smartphones:

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The people in the video above discuss how the phones they use don't support GPS, so they still rely on their friends' phones for maps. None of them talk about communicating less, though.

What are phones for? (5 coins)

1. Phones have increased enormously in function to the point that they now enable much more than just communication.
   
2. Every time you pick up your phone over a 24-hour period, make a quick note of what you are using it for.
3. At the end of the 24-hour period, look at the list of what you used your phone for and see if you notice any patterns.
4. Calculate the proportion of phone use that involves directly communicating with others, and the proportion of phone use that involves other things.
5. Post the proportions as percentages on the 'Phone use forum', along with the three things you use the phone for most other than one-to-one communication.

Phoneless
Some people choose to give up mobile phones altogether, going one step further than the people in the video above who chose to use 'dumb' phones instead of smartphones. In the next video, someone describes their experience of giving up their mobile phone altogether for one month:

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A world without phones (5 coins)
Some people argue that phone make people anti-social, but Luke found that not having a phone was the least sociable time he had. This makes sense, given the fact that his friends kept their phones, and continued to use them as an important medium for communication. But what if no-one had a phone? What if everyone had to rely on face-to-face communication? How would this change your life? How would it change the world? Post your thoughts on the 'No phones forum'.

The internet

The disinhibition effect
Psychologists studying online communication have discovered that people behave differently online. The 'disinhibition effect' describes how people behave in a way online that they never would offline. This can lead to a culture of conflict, disrespect, and bullying. People in the next video confront one another in public using the same language you might see online. What do you think happens?

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Standing up (5 coins)
In the video above, strangers intervene and stand up for the person being bullied. This doesn't tend to happen online, though. Why do you think that might be? Have you seen it happen before, or not? Share your thoughts on the 'Standing up forum'.

Social impact (5 coins)
The next video argues that overall, online communication has had a negative impact on society:

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After watching the video above, answer the following questions on the 'Social impact forum':

1. Do you agree with the video? Why or why not? Feel free to start a new thread or respond to someone else's post.
   
2. The video claims that most young people don't remember a life without the internet. Is this true for you? What are your earliest memories of information and communications technology? How have these technologies changed through your lifetime so far, and where do you expect they might go in the future?
   

Search engines

Google
Have you ever tried to do the same Google search 15 minutes apart and found you got different results? This is because Google chooses listings according to their popularity and their relevance both to your search terms, and to you. Businesses use something called 'Search Engine Optimisation' to increase the chance that their page will occur in searches, partly by working out which words produce the result they want. In the video below, Google explain how their famous search engine works:

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Search algorithms (5 coins)
Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine which pages appear and in what order. You can read more about that here.

1. Take a look at the link above and find three different things that affect the results of a Google search.
2. Post your findings on the 'Search algorithms forum'.
   

Video

Online video (5 coins)
As you have no doubt noticed, many businesses use online video marketing.

1. Take a look at this article about video marketing and find three interesting statistics.
2. Post your statistics on the 'Online video forum' along with a prediction about how you think each statistic might change over the next few years, and why.
   

YouTube
According to this article by Forbes, the highest-paid YouTube star in 2018 was a 7-year-old called Ryan ToysReview! How do people earn money on YouTube? They allow YouTube to insert advertisements into their videos, although they can only do this if they have more than 1000 subscribers. Take a look at the video below if you'd like to know more:

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YouTube celebrity (5 coins)
YouTubers effectively have their own TV channels, and when they get popular enough they can make money from advertisements and partnerships. Answer the following questions on the 'YouTube celebrity forum':

1. How hard (or easy) do you think it is to become a successful YouTuber, and why?
   
2. Have you ever thought of starting a YouTube channel? If you did, what kind of content would you make?
3. If your goal was just to get as many views as possible, what kind of videos would you make?
   

Many news sources publish both online and in print.

1. Find a printed newspaper and read it carefully for 20 minutes. Use an alarm to time yourself.
   
2. Find the same publication online and read it carefully for another 20 minutes. Again, use an alarm to time yourself.
3. Answer the following questions on the 'Online versus print forum':
1. What did you learn?
2. What was it like reading a printed newspaper? Was it different to reading the online version? If so, how?
   
3. What are the benefits and drawbacks to each medium?

Old ways (5 coins)
The next video features another 25 things people did before the internet:

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1. Watch the video above and choose two things that might be improved if they returned to how they were done before the internet.
2. Post your choices along with an explanation of why you chose them on the 'Old ways forum'.

Social media

Popularity of social media
Social media are a popular source of entertainment, with 49% of people using them globally. In 2019, internet users spent an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes per day using social media!

Time spent on social media (5 coins)
How much time do you spend a day on social media, and what social media platforms do you use the most?

1. Respond to the 'Social media choice' to indicate approximately how much time you spend on social media each day. Note that instant messaging, YouTube, and streaming sites like Twitch are all considered social media. Your choice will be shown anonymously.
2. See if you can find the average number of hours spent on social media in Australia, then answer the following questions on the 'Time spent on social media forum':
   
1. How does your social media use compare to a) the Australian average, and b) the global average?
   
2. Do you think you might be over- or under-estimating your social media use? Why or why not?
   

Media representations (5 coins)
How do you and the people you know depict yourselves online? What aspects of life do you choose to share? Is this an accurate depiction of the life you lead? Do you ever experience FOMO? Why or why not? Share your thoughts and experiences on the 'Media representations forum'.

Video

The fate of TV
Streaming services like Netflix and Twitch are becoming more and more popular, with older video formats like TV and movie theatres declining in viewership. In 2019, for the first time, people spent more time online than watching TV, globally. This suggests a big shift in consumer behaviour away from more traditional media. The role of the broadcaster is changing, too, as more and more people make content. Anyone can set up a website or a YouTube channel, for example. Watch this video for a history of television, to see where things evolved from:

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Video consumption (5 coins)
How do you consume video content? Do you watch TV? Do you watch videos on YouTube? Do you watch streamers? Do you watch on-demand streaming services like Netflix? Do you go to the movies? Discuss your habits and preferences on the 'Video consumption forum'.

Offline

No internet
The couple in the next video realise that they spend an enormous time on social media, so they choose to quit the internet and TV for one month. Note that there's some mild swearing in the video.

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About half-way through the video, the woman realises she has no offline hobbies or interests. Without the internet, she has a hard time finding things to do. She discovers a few offline activities by the end of the month, but she returns to her online habits by the end of the video, despite the fact that she doesn't really enjoy them.

Watch the next video for a spoken word poem about how children spent their time before the internet:

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Offline entertainment (5 coins)
Most people would find themselves with several free hours each day if the internet became unavailable. What would you do for entertainment without the internet or TV? How would you fill your time? Share your thoughts on the 'Offline entertainment forum'.

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What was the last book you read? Did you get any of the benefits from the video above? Share your thoughts and experiences on the 'Benefits of reading forum'.

Identity

Online identity
Social psychologists see identity as flexible and multifaceted, changing with context. Think of how you behave when around your friends, compared to how you behave with family. People also tend to behave differently online and offline. The video below explores that issue a bit:

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Selves (5 coins)
Respond to the following questions on the 'Selves forum':

1. Can you think of two contexts in which you express different sides of your personality? Why do you think this happens?
2. Are there any situations where you feel free to express yourself fully? If so, when is that?
3. Do you behave differently online to how you behave offline? If so, how?
4. Is your online self any less 'real' than your offline self? Why or why not?

Addiction

Digital detox
The video above argues that it's possible to get addicted to likes and other forms of online approval. In the next video, someone who spent more than seven hours a day on their phone went on a two week digital detox. Be aware that the video features some mild swearing.

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At the beginning of her digital detox, Hayley had her brain activity measured using an electroencephalogram (EEG) at Nottingham University. When she looks at her phone but can't touch it, her brain activity resembles that of an alcoholic who looks at a drink but can't drink it!

Internet addiction (5 coins)
Internet addiction is seen as a serious public health issue in China, where teenagers are sent to reeducation camps to curb their internet use:

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Watch the video above and then answer the following questions on the 'Internet addiction forum':

1. Do you think the young men in the video above benefit from the internet addiction camp? If not, how do you think their parents should respond instead?
2. At what point do you think it's fair to say someone is addicted?
3. What are some of the problems with internet addiction? Why do you think people make such a fuss about it?
4. Why might people become addicted to the internet?
5. Do you think you could develop an online addiction? That includes videos, instant messaging, social media, online gaming, and every other use of the internet.

Mental health

Selfies
Millions of selfies are uploaded to the internet each year, and it's interesting to consider why they are so popular. The psychologists in the short video below argue that selfies are a healthy way to explore your identity, particularly during adolescence:

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In contrast, the comedian in the next video implies that selfies are narcissistic, and they may be a sign of psychological distress:

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The psychology of selfies (5 coins)
Which video do you agree with more? The first one which argues that selfies are fairly benign, or the second one which argues that they may be problematic? Why do you believe people take selfies? Do you think some selfie-taking behaviours are healthier than others? Share your thoughts on the 'Psychology of selfies forum'.

Information overload
Some people are concerned that the torrent of distractions we find online may have a negative impact on psychological development and wellbeing. The next video outlines the theory that  the internet encourages a shallow style of information processing, potentially stunting psychological development:

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Digital distraction (5 coins)
Attention is a skill like any other - through practice, people can become better at focusing and avoiding distraction.

1. Set aside two hours to do something unrelated to digital media. You could meditate, draw, go for a walk, write a poem, read a book, play an instrument, or practice a sport, for example. Really try to focus on whatever you choose to do.
2. Answer the following questions on the 'Digital distraction forum':
1. What did you choose to do for two hours? How was it? Was it difficult to resist distraction, or not?
2. How often do you normally spend more than an hour focusing on something unrelated to digital media?
3. Some people find it hard to focus on one thing for a long period of time. How well-trained do you think your attention is? Is it possible that digital distractions have taught your brain to constantly seek new stimulation? Or are you in good control of your attention?

Healthy phone use
In the video below, someone reflects on her own smart phone use and shares some things that have helped her develop a more healthy relationship with it:

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Taking back control (5 coins)
Answer the following questions on the 'Healthy internet use forum':

1. Would you like to gain better control over your use of digital media? Yes or no?
2. If yes, why, and what is one thing you could do to move in the right direction?
3. If no, why, and at what point would you consider it necessary to gain better control over your use of digital media?

Activities

Complete at least 25 coins' worth of activities below.