Social Media are technologies, applications and virtual spaces that enable people to interact or exchange information. Like Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) observed, “Social Media is a very active and fast-moving domain” and “if you do not participate in Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life, you are not part of cyberspace anymore”. However, the purpose of the interaction of these two topics is to analyze how they interplay together while influencing each other.

On the other hand, the generation gap is something that can be described as miscommunication, misunderstanding and everyday strife amongst the members of the family because of the disconnect between generations. According to Riley (1970) it refers to the fundamental differences in attitudes, values, beliefs, and perspectives between different generations.

“Nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on what is just and right.”

~ John Milton

Self-esteem refers to one's overall sense of self-worth and value. The use of social media has been linked to both positive and negative effects on self-esteem, with some studies suggesting that excessive social media use may contribute to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

It is also common to see people assume that social media is an evil thing that is brainwashing youngsters i.e., especially Gen Z and adults, i.e., (let’s say) millennials who are not active users of social media platforms. Hence, two modules have been developed and designed with a well thought out rationale to focus on:

How use of Social Media impacts us and our self esteem

and

The Impact of Social Media on Generation Gap

The rationale behind developing this learning resource is to mitigate the negative perception held by the public (in general) towards social media while simultaneously discussing its prospective capabilities. Students will also be offered opportunities to investigate how social media influencers have an impact on the way we use social media and how we can benefit from this great online resource in a more informed way.

Moreover, this topic would serve as a catalyst in our language classroom, fostering meaningful discussions that resonate with all students and encourage quality participation on language component fronts (Writing and Speaking).

The main objective of the language classroom is to encourage cultural sensitivity and facilitate intercultural interactions that can contribute to a greater sense of belonging and integration among ESL students. These students come from diverse backgrounds and are primarily international students studying English as a second language in Canada. They are typically between the ages of 14 and 18. While they may have varying levels of proficiency, they generally fall within the B2 level range. Additionally, a significant portion of the students in the classroom are neurodivergent, particularly with diagnoses on the autism and ADHD spectrum.

To address their needs, we have tried to follow a differentiated instruction approach:

“Differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching. Certainly one of its goals is increased student mastery of essential content and skills. But few students will become dedicated learners because their standardized test scores increase. Differentiation, fully understood, is concerned with developing not only content mastery but also student efficacy and ownership of learning.” (Tomlinson, 2008)

To differentiate instruction depending on students' “interest, readiness and profile” (Tomlinson, 2014), an all accommodating approach will be adopted to make space for every child's needs, tailored to suit their learning styles.

REFERENCES

B. A. G. C. O. A. (2021, February 9). Digital Distortion: How Filters are Changing the Way Girls See Themselves. Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  Retrieved June 17, 2023, from https://www.bgca.org/news-stories/2021/September/digital-distortion-how-filters-are-changing-the-way-girls-see-themselves? gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjws7WkBhBFEiwAIi1680PNXgZgsRtbSdCgGC6gS4rlRsQKMyscQgPF8o_upnwYRWS2oD0hgRoCjfUQAvD_BwE

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 133-148.

Houfer, K. (2022, January 5). The Social Media Generational Gap - Kaleigh Houfer - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@houfe009/the-social-media-generational-gap286e8cc239ef#:~:text=The biggest difference between younger,and to express themselves creatively.

How social media turned the generation gap into an abyss. (2021, December 1). Eureka Street. https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/how-social-media-turned-the-generation-gap-into-an-abyss

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68.Oakes , K. (2019, March 11). The complicated truth about social media and body image. BBC. Retrieved June 17, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190311-how-social-media-affects-body-image

Riley, J. C. (1970). The generation gap. Sun Records.