Half Girl, Half Face Workshop

Intended for girls in grades 7-9, Half Girl, Half Face explores many of the online image issues teenage girls may encounter when they use digital media – particularly social networks. The workshop, which can be presented in both school and community settings, includes the Half Girl, Half Face video and a comprehensive facilitator’s guide.

The workshop, which includes peer-led discussions and activities, revolves around the story of a teenage girl whose image has gone viral. As the video’s protagonist tries to explain how this experience has affected her, she questions many aspects of social networking that are relevant to teens: the tension between privacy and publicity; social rules and expectations about how you should – and should not – represent yourself and how others represent you; and social media as an extension and affirmation of inclusion and popularity.

Through the Half Girl, Half Face workshop, girls are given a chance to discuss and reflect on their online experiences and those of their peers and to think about ways they can ensure that their online interactions are positive for them and others.

Half Girl, Half Face workshop was made possible by financial contributions from the eGirls Project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.