TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and WhatsApp channels: millions of Ghanaians scroll through them every day. In Session 33 you learnt to protect your personal information and to T.H.I.N.K. before you post. Today you will look behind the screen: how an app decides what to show you, why fake news spreads so fast, how to check a viral post, what to do about cyberbullying, and how to keep social media healthy and fun. You don't need a social media account for any of it.
Imagine a clever kenkey seller at the lorry station. She notices that every time you pass, you slow down at the fried fish. The next day she puts fried fish right at the front of her table, where you will see it first. Soon you only ever see fried fish, even though she sells many other things.
A social media feed (the endless list of posts and videos you scroll through) works the same way. A computer program called an algorithm watches what you do, and keeps putting more of the same at the front of your feed.
The algorithm doesn't read your mind. It watches signals: small clues about what you like. The strongest signal is often simply how long you watch.
| Signal | What it tells the app |
|---|---|
| ⏱ Watch time | You watched the whole video, or watched it twice: "Show more like this." |
| ❤️ Likes and comments | You reacted to it: it matters to you. |
| ↗️ Shares | You sent it to friends: it is worth spreading. |
| 👤 Follows | You want more from this person or page. |
| ⏭ Scrolling past quickly | Not interested: show less of it. |
| 🔍 Searches | What you looked for, and sometimes where you are and what time it is. |
If you only ever see one kind of post, your feed becomes an echo chamber: a room where you only hear your own voice echoing back. You might start to believe that everyone thinks the same, or that a rumour must be true because you have seen it ten times.
Your turn: Yaw watched three funny cat videos to the end last night. What will his feed probably show him today, and why?
Misinformation is false information shared by people who think it is true. Disinformation is false information spread on purpose, to trick people or make money. Both spread fast for two reasons: emotion (shocking, scary or angry posts make us share without thinking) and speed (one tap sends it to a whole group).
Made up (a story that never happened) · Old photo, new story (a real flood picture from years ago, shared as "today") · Edited (a photo or screenshot changed) · Deepfake (a video or voice made by AI; you will learn more in Session 40) · Fake account (a page pretending to be a famous person, school or news station).
| Letter | Ask yourself… |
|---|---|
| W – Who posted it? | A real news organisation or official account, or a page you have never heard of? Is the account new? Does the name look slightly wrong? |
| A – Anyone else reporting it? | Search for it. If it were true, would trusted news websites or the official organisation be saying it too? Or check a Ghanaian fact-checker such as GhanaFact or Dubawa Ghana. |
| I – Image check | Do a reverse image search (Session 12) to see if the picture is old or from somewhere else. Look for deepfake signs: odd hands, blurry edges, lips not matching the words. |
| T – Time and date | When was it posted? Is it an old story being shared again? Does it say "share before they delete it!"? That is pressure, not proof. |
Cyberbullying is using phones or the internet to hurt, scare or embarrass someone again and again: cruel messages, spreading rumours, sharing embarrassing photos, leaving someone out of a group on purpose, or pretending to be them. It is never the victim's fault.
Important: if the post is a naked or sexual picture of anyone, do NOT screenshot, save or forward it. Report it and tell an adult straight away. Threats, blackmail or scams can be reported, with an adult, to Ghana's Cyber Security Authority: call or text 292.
Be an upstander, not a bystander. If you see someone being bullied: don't like or share the cruel post, send the person a kind private message ("Are you okay? That wasn't fair"), report the post, and tell an adult.
• Private account: only people you approve see your posts.
• Who can message me: friends only.
• Location: off, and don't tag where you are.
• Tags: approve posts others tag you in.
Most platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and YouTube for your own account) say you must be at least 13, and some features are only for older users. The limits exist to protect children's data and safety. Lying about your age removes that protection.
| Habit | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| ⏰ Set a time limit | Use Digital Wellbeing (Android) or Screen Time (iPhone) to see your hours and set limits. |
| 😴 Screens off an hour before bed | Bright screens and exciting videos keep your brain awake. Sleep helps you learn. |
| 🪞 Remember the highlight reel | People post their best moments, often with filters. Comparing your whole life with their best day isn't fair to you. |
| 🔕 Turn off notifications | Fewer buzzes, fewer reasons to pick up the phone during homework. |
Your turn: Write one healthy social media rule you could suggest to your family.
Open the Feed Check 3D lab on your session page. Scroll a pretend social media feed: spot fake news, report bullying, fix privacy settings and see how the feed learns what you like. Write what happened:
| In the lab | What I did or saw |
|---|---|
| A post I caught as fake, and the W.A.I.T. clue that gave it away | |
| What I did about the bullying comment | |
| How the feed changed after I watched one kind of post |
Your mentor has saved a picture on your desktop called viral-flood.jpg. It has been shared in a WhatsApp group with this message:
| W.A.I.T. | What I found |
|---|---|
| Who | |
| Anyone else | |
| Image | |
| Time | |
| My decision | |
| How to report a post |
| Social Media Scenario | Wise ✅ | Unwise ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| A post says "Drinking hot water with lime cures malaria! Share to save lives!" Kwesi forwards it to his family group straight away. | ||
| Someone posts cruel comments about Fatima every day. She doesn't reply, takes screenshots, blocks them and tells her teacher. | ||
| Naa sees a classmate being mocked in a group chat. She laughs along with an emoji so she won't be next. | ||
| Before sharing a shocking photo, Kojo does a reverse image search and finds it is from 2015. | ||
| Abena, aged 11, enters a fake birth year so she can open her own TikTok account. |
Question 1: How does a social media feed decide what to show you? Use the words signals and predict.
Question 2: What do the letters of W.A.I.T. stand for, and why does fake news spread so fast?
Tick the column that reflects your confidence at the end of Session 34:
| Social Media Competency | With Help | Almost Alone | All By Myself! |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. I can explain how a feed learns what to show me, and what an echo chamber is. | |||
| 2. I can check a viral post with W.A.I.T., including a reverse image search. | |||
| 3. I know the five steps for cyberbullying and how to be an upstander. | |||
| 4. I can explain privacy settings, age limits and healthy habits. |
BIH JHS Tech Club · a Bozoma Innovation Hub programme · Your answers are saved only on this computer.