Thrive! - Teacher's Resource Book - Website Sample
ho Do You Want to Be?
This micro-module aims to support students’ personal development, self-worth and self-confidence by exploring their unique identities, characteristics, values and aspirations, thus encouraging them to be their best selves.
It has been designed for 10 hours of class contact time. Teachers’ professional judgement can be used to adapt the number of hours to take account of the nature of student engagement, including class contact time, reflection and self-directed, independent learning.
STUDENT DIMENSION OF TRANSITION YEAR
Personal Growth
Being a Learner
Career Exploration
DEVELOPMENTAL INDICATORS MOST RELEVANT TO THE MICRO-MODULE
• Becoming more assured and confident about themselves as a person
• Developing self-awareness around identity, values and influences
• Balancing belonging with authenticity and positive relationships
• Reflecting on personal experiences, influences and learning
• Developing awareness of how identity and values evolve over time
• Increasing their awareness of personal interests, aptitudes, values and dispositions
STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT
1.1 Reflect on their unique identity, characteristics, values and aspirations, and explore the influences that have shaped these
1.2 Discuss how they can balance and manage the need to belong and ‘fit in’ with their peer group and their efforts to forge their own identity
1.3 Consider the connection between being their best selves and nurturing healthy relationships with others
1.4 Appreciate the value of positive influences in their lives and explore ways to enhance positive influences that can support them in being their best selves
• Their identity – what qualities are central to who they are? What aspects can change over time?
• Their values – what really matters to them, what has influenced their values and how do their values influence their daily life and decisions?
• Their influences – what influences contribute to shaping who they are and how they present themselves to the world?
• What does a life lived authentically look like? The role of authentic communication, setting boundaries and recognising and managing negative or harmful influences, etc.
• The link between self-awareness and self-acceptance and being able to build positive relationships with others
• The power of kindness and how in supporting others we become our best selves
• Ways to seek out and enhance positive influences in our lives
• Finding their tribe – identifying people who enable them to be their best self
CHAPTER 4
nfluences and Influencers
Learning Outcome Key Words
1.1 You will reflect on your unique identity, characteristics, values and aspirations, and explore the influences that have shaped these.
Learning Intention
By the end of this chapter, you will:
Influences, Social Comparison Theory, Self-Worth, Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, Body Image, Influencers, Looksmaxxing, Glow Up
Identify what influences contribute to shaping who you are and how you present yourself to the world.
Recognise the impact of online trends, comparison and unrealistic standards on self-worth, self-esteem and confidence.
Reflect on ways to build a positive body image and use social media in a way that supports your wellbeing.
hapter Overview
This chapter explores the influences that shape young people’s identity, such as family, peers, experiences and media. It places particular emphasis on social media, influencers, social comparison, and the impact of online trends such as looksmaxxing and glow ups. Students will develop media literacy skills by analysing online content and influencer culture, helping them recognise that what they see online can impact body image, self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
The chapter aims to support students in developing critical thinking, positive self-awareness, and strategies to navigate an online world thoughtfully and safely.
ey Concepts
Influences, Social Comparison Theory, Self-worth, Self-esteem, Self-confidence, Body Image, Influencers, Looksmaxxing, Glow Up.
iscussion Guidance
• Emphasise that influences can be positive, negative or mixed.
• Normalise social comparison while highlighting how social media intensifies it.
• Many students may feel vulnerable discussing body image. Create a respectful classroom environment and emphasise body diversity, recognising that bodies naturally vary in shape, size and ability.
• Link discussion to wellbeing, confidence, identity and self-acceptance rather than appearance change.
• Be aware that sensitive topics such as online pressure and eating disorders may arise. Signpost school and external supports where appropriate.
ctivities
1 Who and What Influences Me?
Aim: To help students identify influences on identity and whether their impact has been positive or negative.
Teacher Guidance: Encourage a broad view of influences beyond social media. Highlight protective influences such as family, mentors and positive peer groups. Invite students to consider which influences they want to strengthen.
Sample Responses:
Influences could be:
• Family by teaching values such as kindness or ambition.
• Friends by encouraging hobbies, fashion or opinions.
• Teachers or coaches by promoting confidence or resilience.
• Media influences such as influencers, music, gaming or TV shows.
2 Real or not Real?
Aim: To build media literacy and reflection on social media. Media literacy is the ability to understand, question and think critically about the media messages we see, hear and share.
Sample Discussion Points:
1. Benefits of social media: connection, creativity, learning, belonging.
3. Filtered: to present a perfect image of themselves or their lives.
4. Why people post highlights: validation, branding, influencing, social norms.
5. Strategies: recognising that content is mostly altered, by unfollowing accounts, having screen time limits, making time for real life connections, talking to trusted adults.
3 Body Image
Aim: To highlight the impact social media can have on young people and to connect Irish research to students’ experiences.
Sample Responses:
1. Students may be surprised by the percentage unhappy with their bodies.
2. Recognition that online comparison increases pressure.
3. Strategies to improve body image include engaging with diverse and realistic content, building self-acceptance, taking part in offline activities and connecting with supportive peers. Encourage students to reduce comparisons with filtered content, embrace the uniqueness of real people, and value personalities, talents and behaviour, not just physical appearance.
4 Looksmaxxing
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-hn-MBcSMCI
Aim: To critically examine online appearance trends.
Teacher Guidance: Looksmaxxing refers to the online trend where people try to improve or “maximise” their appearance as much as possible, often through extreme measures. This can include strict exercise routines, diets, skincare, styling, or invasive cosmetic procedures. The trend has existed for at least a decade but has recently been popularised and redefined on TikTok. This clip introduces the concept and shows how online communities can encourage extreme appearance-focused behaviours. Before viewing, remind students that the content may be confronting and that there is no single ideal way to look. Highlight how social media can amplify pressure to change appearance and how algorithms can reinforce harmful content. Emphasise that the clip is intended for critical thinking and discussion, not for promoting these practices.
Sample Responses:
1. Young people may be drawn to looksmaxxing communities because they want acceptance, belonging, confidence, or a sense of control over how they look and how others see them.
2. Social media often promotes unrealistic appearance goals by showing filtered, edited and staged images that do not reflect real life. Influencers and celebrities often use lighting, makeup, surgery, personal trainers and editing tools, which can make their appearance seem perfect and achievable. Comparing themselves to these images can create pressure and negatively affect self-esteem and body image.
3. Students may recognise that qualities such as personality, kindness, talents and values are more important for relationships and success than physical appearance alone.
4. We can challenge the idea that value is based only on appearance by recognising that self-worth comes from character, relationships, abilities, effort and values, not just how someone looks.
5 Influences
Aim: To explore how online situations affect young people and self-esteem differently.
Teacher Guidance: There are no correct rankings. Emphasise empathy and individual differences.
Possible Student Patterns:
• Most influence: negative comments, likes, glow ups, gym content.
• Least influence: following an influencer who promotes a “What I eat in a day” video.
xtension
Dilemmas
What Would You Do?
Dilemma 1
A friend joins a looksmaxxing forum and becomes obsessed with dieting and workouts. What would you do to support them?
Teacher: Guide discussion on listening, offering reassurance, encouraging healthy habits and suggesting they talk to a trusted adult.
Dilemma 2
You notice an influencer heavily edits their photos but posts messages about body positivity. What would you do?
Teacher: Prompt reflection on critical thinking, recognising mixed messages online and discussing how to evaluate what is trustworthy or realistic.
ssessment Within This Chapter
• Observe student participation in discussions and activities.
• Review mind maps and scenario rankings to gauge understanding of influences and social media impact.
• Check reflection question responses to see how students apply concepts like selfworth, social comparison and critical thinking about influencers.
urther Resources
Research and Reports
Research shows the real impact of media, especially social media on body image. Tiggemann and Slater found that Instagram use is linked to increased body dissatisfaction due to exposure to idealised images. The American Psychological Association reported that teens who reduced their social media use for just three weeks felt better about their appearance and weight. Jigsaw found that positive support from at least one trusted adult could boost body-esteem in young people. These findings, along with the studies and reports listed below, can be used to frame classroom discussions on influences, social media and the importance of supportive relationships.
• Left to Their Own Devices, Trends and Usage Report, CyberSafeKids https://tinyurl.com/CSKTUReport
• My World Survey 2, UCD & Jigsaw https://tinyurl.com/MyWorldSurvey2
• Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Ireland, HBSC Ireland Team https://tinyurl.com/HBSChildren
• The Perfect Storm, Shona Project https://shona.ie/perfect-storm-2025
• Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults, American Association Psychological Association https://tinyurl.com/AAPAReduce
• NetGirls: the Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls, Tiggemann & Slater
https://tinyurl.com/NetGirlsTS
• Better Digital Parenting, CyberSafeKids
https://tinyurl.com/BDPCSK
Media Articles
• Young people want TikTok held accountable for harmful 'SkinnyTok' trend https://tinyurl.com/RTETikTok
• ‘You’re constantly compared to Instagram models’: event told online content affecting teenagers’ mental health https://tinyurl.com/ComparedToModels
• Inside looksmaxxing, the extreme cosmetic social media trend https://tinyurl.com/LooksmaxxingBBC
• Body image: ‘It’s a total bombardment of social media’ https://tinyurl.com/IrishTimesBodyImage
