Page 31 - Cyber Safety C-7

21 st
Century #Initiative
Skills
LIFE BEYOND THE LIKES
Rhea is a 13-year-old student who enjoys using social media to share photos of her daily life. She
often posts pictures of her art, her pets and moments with friends. At first, social media feels fun and
harmless. She likes reading comments and seeing her notifications rise.
After a few months, Rhea begins to notice a change. She starts worrying about how she looks in
every photo. She spends extra time choosing filters and editing small details before posting. When
one of her photos gets fewer likes than she expected, she feels upset and wonders if something is
wrong with her appearance.
At school, Rhea sees classmates with more followers and perfectly edited pictures. She compares
herself with them and feels pressured to look a certain way. Slowly, her confidence drops and she
begins to judge herself more harshly.

One evening, her cousin Ananya talks to her about it. She explains that many people only show
their best moments online and hide their worries or flaws. She also reminds Rhea that social media
numbers do not measure someone’s worth. This conversation helps Rhea take a step back. She
realises she has been letting online reactions control how she sees herself.
Rhea decides to use social media more mindfully. She posts what she genuinely likes instead of
what might get more likes. She also takes regular breaks from her apps. Over time, she feels more
comfortable with herself and learns to value her real strengths rather than online approval.
Based on the above case, answer the following questions:

1. How did social media affect Rhea’s self-image?

2. How did the conversation with Ananya help her?

21 st #Critical Thinking
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA Century
Skills #Information Literacy

Read the following case scenarios and determine if they reflect a positive or negative impact of social
media. Mark your answer in the table.

Case Scenario Positive Negative

Rohit feels anxious and doubts his drawing skills when he doesn’t get
enough likes on his post.
Simran uses social media to share helpful study tips with her friends and
followers.

Digital Well-Beings 29