My Digital Diet Worksheet

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Part 1: My Current Digital Habits

1. On a typical day, approximately how many hours do you spend on screens (phone, computer, TV, gaming, etc.) for non-school-related activities?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What digital activities do you spend the most time on? (e.g., social media, gaming, watching videos, texting)
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. How do you generally feel after spending a lot of time on your devices? (e.g., energized, tired, happy, anxious, focused, distracted)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Are there times when you feel like your device use negatively impacts your mood, sleep, or ability to focus? If so, describe a situation.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Mindful Media Reflection

Think about the strategies we discussed (setting limits, tech-free zones, digital detox, being present, curating your feed).

1. Which of these strategies do you think would be most helpful for you, and why?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What is one positive change you have observed in yourself or others when taking a break from screens?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: My Personalized Digital Diet Plan

Based on your reflections, create a plan for healthier digital habits.

My Goals:

• Goal 1 (e.g., reducing screen time for a specific activity):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • How I will achieve it:
    
    
    
    
    
    
• Goal 2 (e.g., creating a tech-free time/zone):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • How I will achieve it:
    
    
    
    
    
    

My Strategies:

• One new habit I will try:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• One old habit I will try to change:
  
  
  
  
  
  

My Support System:

• Who can help me stick to my plan? (e.g., a family member, friend, teacher)
  
  
  
  
  
  

My Check-in Date:

• When will I review my plan to see how it's going? (e.g., next week, end of the month)
  
  
  
  
  
  

I understand that building mindful media habits is a journey, and it's okay to adjust my plan as I go! I am committed to exploring a healthier relationship with technology.

Mindful Media Discussion Guide

Introduction & Hook Discussion (After Slide 2)

• How many of you feel like you spend a lot of time on screens? What kinds of things do you do on your devices?
• What does the phrase "digital footprint" mean to you? Why is it important to think about?

Exploring Impact: Mood, Focus, & Screens (After Slide 4)

• Can anyone share a time when they felt great after using a device? What were you doing?
• Can anyone share a time when they noticed their screen time might have affected their mood, focus, or sleep? (e.g., feeling tired, grumpy, distracted, or having trouble sleeping after being on a device for a long time)
• Why do you think screens might affect our sleep or ability to focus?

Mindful Media Habits & Digital Diet (After Slide 6)

• Looking at the strategies for mindful media use, which one seems easiest to try first? Why?
• Which strategy might be more challenging for you? What makes it challenging?
• What are some creative ways we can make our "tech-free zones" more fun or engaging?
• How can being more "present" in real life help us feel better about our digital usage?

Wrap-up & Reflection

• What is one new idea or strategy about mindful media that you learned today?
• How might creating your own "digital diet" plan help you in the long run?
• What's one small step you can take today to start building a healthier relationship with your devices?

Mindful Media Habits Activity: Digital Wellness Challenge Cards

Objective: To brainstorm and commit to practical strategies for healthier digital habits.

Materials: Small slips of paper or sticky notes, pens/markers.

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Challenge (2 minutes): Explain that students will be creating personal "Digital Wellness Challenge Cards" to help them practice mindful media habits.

2. Brainstorm Categories (5 minutes): As a class or in small groups, brainstorm different categories of mindful media habits. Examples could include:

   • Time Limits: (e.g., "No screens after 9 PM," "30 minutes social media max daily")
   • Tech-Free Zones/Times: (e.g., "No phones at the dinner table," "Screen-free Saturdays")
   • Content Choices: (e.g., "Follow 3 inspiring accounts," "Unfollow negative accounts")
   • Real-World Connections: (e.g., "Talk to a friend face-to-face today," "Read a physical book")
   • Reflection: (e.g., "Check in with myself after 2 hours online")

3. Create Your Challenge Cards (10 minutes):

   • Give each student 3-5 slips of paper or sticky notes.
   • Ask them to write down one specific, actionable mindful media habit on each slip of paper. These are their "challenge cards."
   • Encourage variety and personalization. Remind them to be realistic.

4. Share and Reflect (8 minutes):

   • Have students share one of their challenge cards with a partner or small group, explaining why they chose that habit.
   • Briefly discuss as a whole class: What was a common challenge? What was a unique idea?

5. Commitment & Next Steps (5 minutes):

   • Ask students to choose 1-2 cards they will genuinely try to implement in the coming days.
   • They can place these cards in their My Digital Diet Worksheet or keep them somewhere visible as a reminder.
   • Emphasize that this is about experimentation and finding what works best for them.