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Teaching critical thinking about online trends and influence
This RSE & PSHE video supports teachers in helping pupils understand how online trends spread and influence behaviour both online and offline. It explores the different forms trends can take, including products, phrases, challenges and activities, and explains how content shared online can quickly become part of everyday conversations, social groups and experiences at school. The video encourages teachers to help pupils recognise how trends gain popularity and why some messages can feel difficult to ignore.
The video provides guidance on developing pupils’ critical thinking about online trends and their impact on decision-making. Teachers are encouraged to explore persuasive techniques such as urgency, excitement and messages that suggest everyone is taking part. The video also examines the influence of peer pressure and fear of missing out (FOMO), helping pupils understand that these feelings are a normal part of wanting to belong. Teachers are guided to discuss how online platforms promote popular content, which can make trends appear more widespread than they really are. Throughout, the video emphasises that trends can have both positive and negative effects and encourages pupils to pause, think critically and make informed choices before joining in.
This video is part of Kapow Primary’s RSE & PSHE KS2 videos, which enable teachers and pupils to explore growth and change and help develop personal, social and emotional skills, as well as an understanding of relationships and health education.
See more of our Year 5 RSE & PSHE scheme of work.
