Today is rung 4 of 5 on this topic
Information, media and democratic decisions
Can do: Analyses how information reaches people, how it's shaped, and what that means for collective decisions.
Why it matters
They are about to become voters. Understanding how information is produced, funded and targeted is now basic civic equipment.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Assumes their feed is a neutral window on events rather than an algorithmically selected slice.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"Why does your feed look different from a classmate's? Who decides what you see?"
Solid looks like: Understands algorithmic selection, engagement incentives, and the funding model behind them.
The full activity for this topic · 30 minutes
Audit Your Own Feed
- 1Scroll fifty items and categorise each: news, opinion, advert, entertainment.
- 2Note how many sources are represented and how many viewpoints.
- 3Compare with someone else's feed on the same day.
- 4Find who funds two of the sources appearing most.
- 5Deliberately follow one credible source that disagrees with them, and review after a fortnight.
If it's too hard
Categorise twenty items.
If it's too easy
Trace one claim from a post back to its original source and document every distortion on the way.
Say this
"Why did the algorithm pick that for you? What does it get if you keep scrolling?"