EXPLAIN:

We will start thinking about our own stories and, in particular, how we can shape them to be as positive, rewarding and fulfilling as possible. To do so, we will develop our understanding of:

• ourselves and the world around us

• the support structures we need to have in place (circle of trust) including trusted adults

• the habits we'll need to build (behaviour change is, in fact, identity change)

To begin, we will revisit some of the ideas first explored in Session Three around influence and who in our lives influences us the most. We can either think generally about those influencers or something more specific. The choice is yours:

1. Instruct students either to think about the question 'Who influences me?" in a general way or to identify a specific behaviour, attitude, problem, or situation in which others influence them.

2. Students should record their work on a piece of paper. On one side, they should record positive influences and the opposite side, negative influences.

3. They should draw shapes that represent the relative size of influence that each person has.

4. Allow them to share verbally in small groups while creating this, and invite those confident enough to share with the entire group to talk about their reflections.

5. Respect what they create and remember the incredible amount of vulnerability it must take to talk about this with others.

EXPLAIN:

We will explore the nature of social media influence in more detail, thinking about some of our experiences online and the things we have seen.

In Session Three, we talked about three groups we look to as sources of the things we regularly do or our 'social norms':

1. The close

2. The many

3. The powerful

We see all of these groups on social media - we follow and interact with our friends (the close), the people our friends follow (the many) and those we consider to be most powerful (e.g. influencers).

Hand out Worksheet 8: Discussion starter sheet

We'll begin by completing the discussion starter sheet to help us organise our thinking. In the box marked 'Title of Discussion', half of the groups should write:

— Social media is a positive influence on young people, our thoughts and our actions.

The other half should write:

— Social media is a negative influence on young people, our thoughts and our actions.

Working individually, students should complete the sections on the sheet and make notes on their thoughts and opinions. Then, either in triads, if there's time, or collectively as a class, facilitate a discussion around the two counter positions based upon the ideas that students recorded.

EXPLAIN:

We've explored how social influence is all around us and inevitably impacts every one of us. We exist in a social world and must adapt to social situations. Young people are considered to be the most impressionable when it comes to social influence. Increasingly, social interactions happen online. Therefore, young people are likely to be more susceptible to being influenced by people who may not be who they seem or claim to be. This is because teenage brains are wired to seek out risk and, therefore, less likely to anticipate consequences or undertake an adequate risk assessment. However, our social networks can also be a source of positive influence, and consequently, it's essential to create, cultivate and maintain networks that are affirmative and supportive. Therefore social influence and, as a result, the company we keep are products of our desire to be accepted by friends, peers and those considered 'desirable' influencers by young people's own subjective measures. In the next session, we'll look at our networks and think about how we can ensure they support our health, growth and development.

Take a few minutes to note your reflections from today's session.

SHOW: Slide 5

We are going to add a few notes into our Reflection Journals, remembering the 5Fs.

Prompt with the following questions:

Facts — What happened? What did I experience?

Feelings — What impacted me, and how did I feel?

Findings — What truths/assumptions did I have about the session/myself/the process? What can I learn?

Future — How would I like to apply my insights in the future?

Friends — Share reflections, learnings and actions with others

Now, thinking specifically about today's session, note whatever you think or feel about your own basic needs and how they might impact decisions you have made. Think also about using these needs to drive you towards actions that help you positively impact the world. We will revisit this Later in the programme.

Allow students five minutes to think about and write down their reflections from today's session. Then, in groups of 3, encourage students to spend five minutes sharing their reflections.

Note: encourage students to take responsibility for what they share. Some things they will likely want to keep to themselves as 'personal reflection'.