The Big Debate: Online Safety & Social Media
An Interactive Debating Workshop for KS3 & KS4 Students
In a world where technology connects us more than ever, Bigfoot’s The Big Debate: Online Safety & Social Media invites young people to question, challenge, and reflect on their digital lives. This dynamic 50-minute workshop empowers students to think critically about the impact of smartphones and social media, explore the complexities of online behaviour, and express their views through structured debate and discussion.
The session begins with an introduction to the art of debating, teaching participants how to communicate persuasively, listen actively, and distinguish between facts, experiences, and opinions. Students are then introduced to the central question: Are smartphones and social media damaging and dangerous? From this starting point, they are guided through a series of activities and evidence-based discussions that encourage them to explore both the positives and negatives of living online.
Through engaging film clips, data analysis and interactive exercises, students reflect on their own digital habits and compare their experiences with those of their peers. They begin to recognise that smartphone and social media use can bring enormous benefits, connection, creativity, and community, but also carries potential risks such as anxiety, addiction, or exposure to harmful content. The workshop encourages them to understand that using technology involves an element of personal responsibility and that the difference between safety and danger often lies in how the tools are used, rather than in the tools themselves.
As the debate unfolds, students are challenged to represent opinions that may not be their own, helping them to build empathy and strengthen their communication skills. The workshop concludes with a lively mini debate where participants test their powers of persuasion, considering whether it is the technology, the user, or society that bears responsibility for the challenges of the online world.
By the end of the session, students develop a deeper awareness of online safety, digital wellbeing and responsible use of technology. They leave understanding that being digitally literate means more than simply knowing how to use a phone or app – it means thinking critically, acting responsibly, and engaging in the online world with confidence and care.
Our Bigfoot Educators will facilitate powerful discussions that help your students delve deeper than ever before so that they all understand the responsibility we have to create safe and respectful communities together.
Debating sessions are 50 minutes long, and we can deliver to 6 classes over the course of a school day.
