This Teaching Tolerance story underscores the value of diversity within all of the communities we are part of—our cities and towns, neighborhoods, schools and groups of friends and acquaintances.
Facebook might be another community to which you belong. The USA Network recently developed a Facebook game called Social Circle. It tests your knowledge of your Facebook friends using different criteria, such as race and ethnicity, geographic location, religious faith, sexual orientation. It also helps you understand, in a visual way, how diverse your social circle is and how you might broaden that diversity. (Note: The USA Networks FB game is not violating anyone’s privacy. That is, it’s not “checking” back to see if the friend you identified as Jewish really is Jewish, or the one you said was gay really was gay.)
1. Before you play the game, either on your own or in the classroom, think about what you’re willing to share online. If you do not want to allow Social Circle to post updates or photos on your behalf, skip the first part of the game.
2. Follow the directions for playing “Characters Unite—Social Circle.” (With this game, the USA Network is promoting the variety of characters in its programming. It also wants you to see that people with a huge variety of characteristics can add a lot to your life.) As you answer each of eight questions, you will see photos of your friends pop up. If none of them apply to the question, spin again. If one of them applies, press “hold” under the photo. Your answers to the questions will be timed. The longer it takes to finish the game, the less diverse is your group of friends.
3. When you finish the game, it will assess your social circle for its diversity. What is your score? Is it what you expected? Why or why not?
4. Write a journal entry that sums up your experience with Social Circle. In what ways do you think you could make your circle of friends and acquaintances more diverse?
[Teachers: If Facebook isn’t accessible on your campus, or you’d rather not assign students to this activity, try the alternate diversity activity under “Resources.”]
Resources:
“Our Groups of Friends,” a Teaching Tolerance teacher-generated activity.
