The Internet Is Not a Neutral Space
TARGET:
12-15 years
INTENSITY:
25 min / 2x per week
LEARNING GOAL
Developing My Human-Human Co-Intelligence
PEDAGOGICAL INTENTION
Setting Fair, Equitable, and Respectful Rules
Target SKILLS
Socio-emotional Intelligence
Co-Intelligence Human-Human
Complex Reasoning
Agency and Autonomy
MATERIALS
Platform governance case studies
Personal digital governance position paper
DETAILED PROCEDURE
This activity works best one-on-one, or with one child at a time within a small group. Explain calmly to the child: "Online platforms are governed - by companies with profit motives, by governments with political interests, and by community norms that may or may not reflect your values. Understanding how this governance works is a civic skill."
Step 1
Case studies: content moderation decisions / algorithmic amplification of harmful content / data privacy and consent.
Step 2
Ask these questions: who should have authority over online speech? What principles should govern it? How do we balance free expression and safety?
Step 3
Say gently to the child: "The internet feels like a public square. It is privately owned, profit-driven, and only as safe as the governance structures that govern it."
Step 4
Have students write a 1-page personal position on digital governance.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
PROGRESS INDICATORS
The child explains how platform governance differs from public governance.
The child identifies the interests of 3 different stakeholders in content moderation.
The child writes a reasoned personal position on one digital governance question.