Are Online Friendships Enough? wellbeing lesson plan
A primary wellbeing lesson for Years 5 and 6 that helps Australian teachers introduce critical thinking about online friendships through a structured, ready-to-teach lesson. Students learn to weigh up what a digital friendship offers, consider trust, privacy and support, and practise thinking through when an online connection is genuinely helpful. The lesson keeps the focus balanced and practical, helping students build judgement about online relationships without treating every digital connection as risky.
Online Safety, AI & Digital Literacy
Snapshot
Are Online Friendships Enough?
This lesson gives teachers a structured way to help students think critically about how online friendships compare with face to face relationships. Feedback: 4.7/5 average rating from 38 teacher and student responses
Prep time:
5 to 10 minutes
Lesson length:
45 to 50 minutes
Key Focus
Evaluating the value and limits of online friendships
Lesson Format
Teacher-led discussion and structured activities
What students will learn
By the end of the lesson, students will be supported to:
Recognise
recognise the difference between an online acquaintance and a trusted friendship
recognise signs that an online friendship feels supportive, such as honesty and mutual respect
recognise situations where an online connection may involve unclear or missing information about the other person
Understand
understand why trust and support can be harder to judge in online relationships than face to face ones
understand how privacy and personal information can affect the safety of an online friendship
Practise
practise asking questions that help evaluate whether an online friendship feels genuine and supportive
practise language for setting boundaries in online interactions
practise identifying when to seek support from a trusted adult about an online connection
Who this lesson is for?
This lesson is designed for upper primary students in Years 5 and 6 who are becoming more active online and are starting to form connections through games, apps or social platforms alongside their everyday friendships.
It is suitable for:
primary wellbeing lessons
Health or PDHPE teaching
digital literacy and online safety units
pastoral care or advisory sessions
respectful relationships programs
Suitability should be based on more than age alone. Teachers should consider the lesson focus, student maturity, cohort needs, classroom culture, existing discussion norms and available support pathways.
Best used when
Use this lesson when students need clear, practical language for recognising unkind behaviour and knowing what to do next.
Introducing online safety and digital literacy Use when students need language for thinking critically about who they interact with online.
Building digital citizenship skills Use when reinforcing respectful, thoughtful communication in online spaces.
Extending friendship or relationship learning Use alongside friendship or relationship units to extend thinking into digital contexts.
Supporting students who game or use social platforms Use when students are increasingly forming connections through online games or apps.
Preparing for greater online independence Use as students take on more unsupervised device or platform use.
Creating a structured digital literacy discussion Use when you want a calm, teacher-led discussion about privacy, trust and online relationships.
The lesson can be used proactively with the whole class. It does not need to follow a specific incident.
Why this lesson matters
As students spend more time online, many are forming connections through games, apps and social platforms alongside their everyday friendships. Being able to think critically about these connections helps students make more informed choices about who they trust and how much they share. This lesson is not about telling students that online friendships are unsafe. It is about helping them build the judgement to notice when a digital connection is genuinely supportive, and when it may need more caution, privacy awareness or a conversation with a trusted adult. Building this kind of digital thinking early supports students to navigate online relationships with more confidence as their independence online grows.
How this lesson supports wellbeing
This lesson supports student wellbeing by building practical social and emotional skills students can use in everyday school life. It helps students develop:
Capability How the lesson supports it
Critical thinking Students weigh up the value and limits of an online friendship rather than accepting it at face value.
Digital literacy Students consider privacy, personal information and digital footprints in online interactions.
Self awareness Students reflect on what they personally need from a supportive friendship.
Communication skills Students practise language for setting boundaries in online spaces.
Help seeking Students learn when to raise concerns about an online connection with a trusted adult.
Protective behaviours Students recognise situations where an online relationship may need extra caution.
For teachers and school leaders, the lesson contributes to broader wellbeing, respectful relationships, child safety and pastoral care goals in Australian primary schools.
Teaching notes & Delivery Considerations
This lesson includes content about unkind behaviour, exclusion and asking adults for help. It should be taught with calm, clear discussion norms.
Before teaching
Remind students not to name specific people, apps or platforms they use personally
Frame discussion around general examples and scenarios rather than personal online experiences
Make clear the lesson is about building thinking skills, not judging anyone's online friendships
Be prepared to follow your school's child safety, wellbeing or child protection procedures if a student discloses harm or says they feel unsafe.
During delivery
Use general examples such as gaming friends, followers or online acquaintances rather than specific platforms
Give students time to discuss in pairs or small groups before sharing with the class
Keep the tone balanced, online friendships are not framed as automatically risky
Reinforce that students can pass on questions they do not want to answer aloud
Supporting safe discussion
Encourage students to use general examples rather than sharing personal online friendships
Remind students that privacy applies to themselves and to other people
Point students toward a trusted adult if a discussion raises a concern about their own online safety
Adaptation options
Use partner discussion for students who are less confident speaking to the whole class
Extend the discussion into digital footprints or misinformation for classes ready to go further
Spend more time on trusted adults and support pathways if students need extra guidance
