TWITTER AND FACEBOOK ADDICTS SUFFER WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

By: Matthew Sparkes

Published: The Daily Telegraph, 11 April 2013;http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/9986950/Twitter-and-Facebook-addicts-suffer-withdrawal-symptoms.html

Level of Difficulty: *

Note to the student: This reading task should be covered in conjunction with “Toddlers Becoming so Addicted to iPads They Require Therapy” and “Student Addiction to Technology Similar to Drug Cravings”. The writing tasks involve all three and examples are available under Sample Essays.
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*  euronews hi-tech - Hooked on Facebook: social media addiction

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 QUESTIONS

1.       Stopping accessing their Facebook and Twitter accounts made the subjects…………………………

2.       Why?

3.       Does Dr. David Giles agree with the concerns about excessive use of social networking sites?

4.       What conclusion can we draw from the feedback provided by the Welsh woman?

5.       What surprising reaction was reported by non-Facebook users in the study commissioned by first direct?

6.       Twitter users didn’t miss social networking as much because …………………………………………….

7.       Some members of society are refered to as vagrants of the digital age because ………………….

WRITING TASKS

Refer to the question sheet for “Student addiction to technology similar to drug cravings study finds” for the combined writing activities

TWITTER AND FACEBOOK ADDICTS SUFFER WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This wonderful little text is one of the trilogy posted on this site covering different aspects of the same issue: addiction to technology. The writing tasks, a combined summary and a paragraph, draw all three together. It should be fun and educationally worthwhile. Examples of the writing tasks can be found under Sample Essays

1.       Feel cut off from the world

2.       So much of their life was organized via Facebook

3.       No; the average internet user today is a savvy individual with a smart phone who openly manages his or her entire social life and personal relationships online

4.       Moderation could be key. And no, the next sentence will not do; it is support. You need to recognize the general statement and its expansion.

5.       One participant said “I thought I would find using Facebook every day dull and pointless, but I am finding that I am quite enjoying it . I actually find I am seeing my friends more now.

6.       Twitter’s less social nature

7.       They lack an email address or Facebook account