Lesson
Why It's Hard to Stop
Summary
Losing 45 minutes to "just a quick scroll" isn't a willpower failure; it's the result of deliberate design choices built by teams of engineers. Explore persuasive design features like infinite scroll, variable rewards, and gamification, and learn why it's not your fault when tech feels impossible to put down.
Bellringer: The 45-Minute Scroll
- Students complete the prompt about losing track of time online
- Push for at least two reasons students get "stuck" scrolling
- Invite a few volunteers to share out before moving to instruction
Instruction
- Introduce "persuasive design" and connect it to bellringer answers
- Walk through infinite scroll, autoplay, variable rewards, and streaks/gamification using short examples from popular apps
- Reinforce that susceptibility to these features isn't a personal flaw
Discussion: Who Benefits From Your Attention?
- Ask students why companies want to capture and hold attention
- Guide students toward the connection between attention, data, and money
- Discuss whether this changes how students view the apps they use daily
Activity: Digital Wellness Assessment, Vocab & Posttest
- Students finish the Digital Wellness Assessment started in a previous lesson
- Students complete the related vocabulary practice and posttest
Wrap-Up & Assessment
- Define persuasive design.
- Give one example of persuasive design and where you've seen it.
| Est. Time | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Bellringer: The 45-Minute Scroll |
|
| 10 min | Instruction |
|
| 8 min | Discussion: Who Benefits From Your Attention? |
|
| 17 min | Activity: Digital Wellness Assessment, Vocab & Posttest |
|
| 5 min | Wrap-Up & Assessment |
|
Lesson Prep
Digital Wellness
Students assess their digital habits across four health dimensions.
Digital Wellness Vocab
Review the vocab terms from Digital Wellness.
Digital Wellness Posttest
Assess student learning after completing the Digital Wellness unit.
Class Presentation
Includes a 15-slide deck with teacher notes. Present from Banzai, download a PDF, or copy it to Google Slides.
Presentations, Ready to Go
- Built-in PresentationPresent full screen, straight from Banzai
- Copy to Google SlidesMake an editable copy for your class
- Download or PrintSave as a PDF or print
- Teacher NotesSlide-by-slide guidance, printable as one handout
Unit 1: Digital Health & Wellness
Screens, Sleep, and Focus
Bedtime scrolling isn't relaxation—it's actively sabotaging your sleep and your grades. Explore how blue light, notifications, and the hidden 'switch-cost' of interruptions quietly steal hours from teens every day.
Why It's Hard to Stop
Losing 45 minutes to "just a quick scroll" isn't a willpower failure; it's the result of deliberate design choices built by teams of engineers. Explore persuasive design features like infinite scroll, variable rewards, and gamification, and learn why it's not your fault when tech feels impossible to put down.
Comparison & Mood
Every scroll shows you someone else's highlight reel, never their whole story. This lesson unpacks the Highlight Reel Effect and Upward Social Comparison, then teaches students to audit their own emotions before, during, and after social media use.
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