Digital Well-Being for Families - Stigma-Free Student Mental Health Toolkit

Digital Wellbeing For Families

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Conversation Cards on Social Media Use and Cyberbullying

These conversation cards help spark open, age-appropriate discussions about social media, online behavior, and well-being. Choose the ones that feel most relevant to you and your child and let the conversation flow naturally. Click a card to flip it over and reveal the answer.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is repeated or intentional harm that happens online, including social media, gaming platforms, or texts. It can involve harassment, spreading rumours, embarrassing someone, or making threats. Cyberbullying may take place in private messages or public online spaces.

What should someone do if they see bullying online?

Seeing unkind behaviour online can feel confusing or upsetting. If someone is mistreating you, it’s okay to block and report them, stop engaging, and reach out for support from a trusted adult. Saving harmful messages or posts before they’re deleted can be useful if authorities end up needing to get involved.

Why can social media affect how people feel about themselves?

Social media often shows people’s “highlight reels,” not their real life. This might lead to unfair comparisons or pressure to look or act a certain way. The important thing is to follow accounts that make you feel good rather than worse about yourself and remember that what you see online doesn’t tell the whole story.

What does being respectful online mean?

Respect online means being kind, keeping others’ privacy in mind (not sharing personal information without their permission), and knowing when to step away from a conversation. Tip: If you wouldn’t say it in person, you shouldn’t say it online!

How can social media affect mental health?

Social media can be a creative outlet and help people feel more connected to friends, which is great for well-being. At the same time, it could also increase negative emotions like sadness, anxiety, or loneliness, depending on the user and type of content being viewed.

What does privacy mean on social media?

Privacy means controlling who sees your posts, messages, and personal information – and respecting others’ privacy, too. This includes keeping details like your passwords or location private and thinking before sharing posts about yourself and others.

What does setting healthy boundaries with social media look like?

Healthy boundaries can look like setting intentional limits around the time you spend on social media, the type of content you consume, or when and where you decide to use it.

What are signs that social media might be affecting someone negatively?

Signs can include trouble sleeping, a need to be on your device constantly, feeling worse after going online, or using social media in a way that negatively affects your everyday life.