A Message from Kaitiaki Pūtaiao: Excellent work gathering that initial data. You observed what your body feels. Today's experiment is to understand why. We're going to investigate the 'attention economy'. It's a system designed to capture your most valuable resource: your time and focus. To understand it, we need to look at the chemistry of your brain, specifically a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Knowledge is power. Let's power up.
Knowledge (Māramatanga)
- Define the 'attention economy' as a system where companies compete for user focus.
- Explain that dopamine is a chemical in the brain related to motivation and reward.
- Describe the 'dopamine loop' (trigger, action, reward) in the context of app design.
Skills (Pūkenga)
- Identify specific features in apps designed to create a dopamine loop (e.g., notifications, 'likes', streaks).
- Analyse how these features influence user behaviour.
- Critically evaluate the purpose behind these design choices.
Values (Wairuatanga)
- Develop a critical perspective on the digital tools they use.
- Value their own time and attention as a precious resource.
- Move from being a passive user to a conscious, informed consumer of technology.
Media Anchor | Watch & Discuss (10 minutes)
Video Anchor: Algorithms of Oppression and AI Bias
Use this clip to unpack how platform design choices shape attention, behaviour, and wellbeing.
- Which design features in your daily apps are engineered to keep attention locked in?
- How can understanding design intent help you regain control over screen-time patterns?
Whakatūwhera | Your Most Valuable Resource (10 minutes)
Main Activity: What are you "paying" with?
- Class Discussion (10 mins): The teacher asks: "Most of the apps we use are free. How do the companies that make them get rich?" Students brainstorm ideas (e.g., ads, selling data). The teacher then introduces the core idea: "You are also paying with something else, something you can never get back: your time and your attention. In today's world, your attention is one of the most valuable resources on the planet."
Main Learning | The Dopamine Loop (35 minutes)
Main Activity: Deconstructing the System
- Introducing Dopamine (10 mins): The teacher, guided by Kaitiaki Pūtaiao, gives a simple, accessible explanation of dopamine. "It's not a 'happiness chemical,' it's a 'motivation chemical.' It's the little voice that says, 'Do that again! It might be good!'"
- The Dopamine Loop (15 mins): Using the 'Dopamine Loop Infographic', the teacher explains the three parts:
- Trigger: The cue to do something (e.g., a red notification bubble).
- Action: The thing you do (e.g., opening the app).
- Variable Reward: The unpredictable reward you get (e.g., a nice message, a funny video, or nothing interesting). The 'unpredictable' part is key, as it's what makes it so compelling.
- App Analysis (10 mins): In pairs, students choose a popular app (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) and identify features that fit into the dopamine loop. They should find at least one example for Trigger, Action, and Reward.
Consolidation | Hacking the Loop (25 minutes)
Main Activity: Reclaiming Control
- Group Discussion (15 mins): In small groups, students discuss: "Now that we know how the loop works, how can we 'hack' it to take back control?" They should brainstorm practical strategies.
- Sharing Strategies (10 mins): Each group shares their best strategy. The teacher compiles a list on the board. Examples might include:
- Turning off notifications (removing the trigger).
- Setting time limits (interrupting the action).
- Changing the screen to greyscale (making the reward less stimulating).
- Intentionally choosing what to watch instead of scrolling the feed (taking control of the action).
Whakakapi | Conscious Choices (5 minutes)
Main Activity: Final Analysis
- Kaitiaki Pūtaiao concludes: "The experiment is a success. You have observed the system and understood its mechanics. You cannot change how the system is designed, but you can change how you interact with it. Knowledge is the first step to conscious choice. In our next lesson, we will use this knowledge to become architects of a healthier system."
Curriculum alignment
- Matter Interactions and Energy — Practices: Making and testing predictions about how changing components in a series or parallel circuit affects whether and how the circuit works
- Ecosystems — Knowledge: Humans are part of ecosystems and can change them through their actions (e.g. clearing land, growing crops, changing waterways, planting trees, restoring habitats).
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to explore digital kaitiakitanga — applying tikanga Māori principles of guardianship, manaakitanga, and whanaungatanga to their digital lives, spaces, and technologies.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can explain how kaitiakitanga applies to digital environments and online communities.
- ✅ Students can connect tikanga Māori values to ethical decision-making in digital contexts.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters and visual frameworks to scaffold access at the entry level. Offer extension tasks that deepen ethical analysis — for example, comparing digital tikanga principles to international AI ethics frameworks.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key kupu (kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, tikanga) with bilingual glossaries. Allow students to express ideas in their home language first before translating to English.
Inclusion: Chunk tasks and provide clear visual instructions. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured choice in how they demonstrate understanding (e.g., verbal, written, or visual). Affirm diverse digital experiences as valid starting points.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Digital kaitiakitanga frames technology through Te Ao Māori — our digital spaces are extensions of our marae, our data is part of our whakapapa, and our online behaviour reflects our mana. Tikanga Māori provides a powerful ethical compass for navigating the digital world.
Prior knowledge: No specialist digital technology knowledge required for entry-level engagement. Best used after introductory lessons on tikanga Māori or as part of a digital technologies unit.
Curriculum alignment
- Te Mātaiaho (2025) · Technology · Phase 4 (Years 9–10) · Design, Make, and Innovate (Knowledge): “Algorithms influence what people see online, shaping opinions and behaviours.”
- NZC (2007) · Technology · Level 4: “Understand how technological development expands human possibilities and how technology draws on knowledge from a wide range of disciplines.”