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Add English DGB 2 translation

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:DGB 2: Social Media}}
← [[DGB 2. Klasse/en|Digital Literacy – Year 2]]

Social media refers to digital platforms and services on which users create, share and comment on content and connect with other people. These communication spaces are often operated by companies with economic interests. Understanding social media therefore means examining functions, business models, data and attention mechanisms together.

== Curriculum reference ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Area !! Classification
|-
| '''Competence area''' || Communication
|-
| '''Perspectives''' || Societal and interaction perspectives (G, I)
|-
| '''Focus''' || Social media and the interests of platform providers
|-
| '''Competence''' || Explain social-media services using typical functions, recognise platform-provider interests and reflect on their influence on attention, advertising and information selection.
|}

== Learning objectives ==

Students can:

* explain profiles, feeds, comments, likes, sharing and networking as typical social-media features;
* distinguish social media from search engines, messaging services, online shops and news sites;
* compare the interests of users and platform companies;
* understand advertising and other revenue models as an important basis for many platforms;
* explain why time spent, interactions and reach can be valuable to platforms;
* describe algorithmic feeds as automated selection and ordering of content;
* explain personalised advertising and data use in basic terms;
* distinguish advertising, sponsorship and apparently private content critically;
* recognise attention mechanisms such as notifications, autoplay and endless scrolling;
* reflect on possible effects on opinion formation and self-perception;
* check privacy, notification and personalisation settings deliberately;
* develop rules for more self-directed social-media use.

== Learning content ==

=== What is social media? ===

Typical features include user profiles, public or group posts, networking, comments, reactions and sharing. A service is not automatically a social-media platform simply because it has comments. Understanding functional principles is more useful than memorising individual brand names.

=== Interests of users ===

People use social media for communication, entertainment, information, self-expression, creativity, belonging and participation. These interests may change during the day or between platforms. One person may use the same service for friendships, learning and entertainment.

=== Interests of companies ===

Platform companies aim to provide an attractive service while also pursuing economic goals. On advertising-funded services, high user numbers, long usage, interactions and targeted advertising are especially relevant. User and company interests can overlap, but they are not identical.

=== Feeds and algorithmic selection ===

A feed is not simply a random list. Automated systems can order posts using signals such as previous behaviour, interactions, recency and assumed interests. Two people may therefore see different content. High visibility is not the same as high quality or truth.

=== Advertising and data ===

Advertising may be clearly labelled, appear as sponsored content or be integrated into influencer content. Personalised advertising uses information to select adverts that are more likely to match a user. It is important to distinguish data a service actually knows from algorithmic assumptions about interests.

=== Attention as a resource ===

Notifications, autoplay, recommendations, short videos and endless scrolling can encourage people to stay longer. These features are designed. More deliberate use can include switching off unnecessary notifications, starting with a clear purpose or limiting automatic playback.

=== Social media and opinion formation ===

Social feedback, trends and repeated positions can influence what people perceive as important or common. Recommendation systems can amplify some topics. Important information should therefore be checked using additional suitable sources instead of relying on a feed alone.

=== Self-directed use ===

Depending on the service, privacy, advertising, history and notification settings provide some control. Personal habits also matter: purposeful use, deliberate breaks and critical checking of emotional content support greater self-direction.

== Classroom activities ==

=== Distinguish social media from other services ===

Classify example services by profile, feed, networking, search, direct message, shop and editorial content.

'''Expected outcome:''' A feature-based classification.

=== Reflect on your own use ===

Record purpose, duration and trigger without private content and identify deliberate versus automatic starts.

'''Expected outcome:''' A factual self-observation.

=== Identify company interests ===

Create two columns: ‘What do I want as a user?’ and ‘What may be economically important to the platform?’

'''Expected outcome:''' Understanding of different interests.

=== Analyse feed and attention ===

Mark elements in a fictional feed that encourage clicking, reacting or staying and propose alternatives.

'''Expected outcome:''' An analysis of attention steering.

=== Recognise advertising and sponsored content ===

Compare labelled adverts, sponsorship and fictional influencer posts and identify commercial signals.

'''Expected outcome:''' Advertising literacy.

=== Evaluate platform design ===

Choose three features such as notifications, autoplay or scrolling and explain which behaviours they make easier.

'''Expected outcome:''' A connection between design and behaviour.

=== Role-play user and platform ===

User and platform groups each define five goals, then negotiate fair compromises.

'''Expected outcome:''' A change of perspective.

=== Connect social media and opinion formation ===

Explain how recommendations, reactions and repetition can affect which positions become visible.

'''Expected outcome:''' A link between platform logic and opinion formation.

=== Develop rules for conscious use ===

Write rules on notifications, time, source checking, privacy and advertising.

'''Expected outcome:''' Practical personal or class rules.

=== Summarise the business model ===

Explain in a short text why a service that is free to use can still have economic interests.

'''Expected outcome:''' A reasoned summary.

== Self-check ==

* I can explain social media using typical features.
* I distinguish user interests from company interests.
* I understand the basic idea of an algorithmic feed.
* I recognise advertising and attention mechanisms.
* I can use settings and personal rules for greater self-direction.
* I check important information outside my feed as well.

== See also ==

* [[DGB 2: Kommunikationsmedien und Manipulation/en|Opinion Formation and Manipulation]]
* [[DGB 2: Medienproduktion und Medienkonsum/en|Production, Publication and Reach]]
* [[DGB 2: Digitale Angebote Gesundheit Umwelt/en|Health and Conscious Use]]

[[Kategorie:Digitale Grundbildung]]
[[Kategorie:DGB 2]]

DGB 2: Social Media/en - Versionsgeschichte

Administrator: Add English DGB 2 translation