“Social media can
boost teen’s self-esteem – or foster depression”
By: Alison Pearce
Stevens
Published: Science
News for Students, Oct 12, 2017, https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/social-media-whats-not
Level of Difficulty:
**
BEFORE YOU READ
QUESTIONS
1.
Read the first four paragraphs of the text and
answer the questions:
·
Social interaction has undergone a radical
change in recent years in that the traditional venue has been replaced by…
·
What major difference between the traditional
venues for socialization and the modern venues is a cause of problems? The fact
that…
·
The above issue may have serious repercussions
for students in that …
2.
Read the section titled a filtered view and
answer the questions:
·
We gain important insight into teenagers’ state
of mind from the 2015 experiment. It is that…..
·
The distorted image teenagers present to their
social circle is due to the fact that…
·
The down side of the above is that…
·
What conclusion can be drawn from the
information provided thus far?
·
We understand from the 2015 study of eighth and ninth
graders that the quality of the post/ the length of the post / the nature of
the post / the seriousness of the post may have an effect on popularity.
·
What habit mentioned in this section may affect
the state of mind of teenagers? Whether …
3.
Read the section titled “A place to connect and
answer the questions:
·
What widely held prejudice was disproved by
Marwick and Boyd?
·
There are physical / practical/ emotional /
social reasons why teenagers hang out on social media
·
What major feature of online communication can
cause serious repercussions?
4.
Read the section titled “Online Drama” and
answer the questions:
·
The reason why the term online drama is used to
describe confrontations online is the fact that………
·
What epithet do teenagers avoid using in this
context?
·
The term online drama is used to alter
perceptions / change messages/ adapt messages / promote understanding
5.
Read the section titled “Keeping It in the
Family” and answer the questions:
·
Read the study Coyne and her colleagues carried
out. Connecting with parents on social media benefits parents in that…
·
It also benefitted teenagers themselves in that
their level of anti-social behavior was…(Provide a one word answer)
·
We understand from the text that social media is
beneficial so long as …
WRITING TASK
Use all you have learnt to write an essay discussing the
advantages and disadvantages of teenagers’ use of social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA: WHAT’S
NOT TO LIKE? KEY AND TEACHERS’ NOTES
This extremely
topical text provides a good all-round analysis of the use of social media by
teenagers. The upsides and downsides are clearly explained. As a result the
text should generate plenty of discussion and lead to a well rounded essay.
1. The
answers to the questions in this section
·
Social media (such as instagram, snapchat and
facebook)
·
Using social media to connect with others is
kind of like having a private conversation in a public place.
·
They can feel cut out, judged, less connected
and caught in online drama and cyber bullying
2. The
answers to the questions in this section
·
Peer feedback plays a big role in how teens view
themselves and each other
·
Teens present idealized versions of themselves
online
·
Those carefully crafted profiles can make it
feel like everyone else is living a better life than you are
·
Students’ use of social media may form distorted
perceptions of their peers
·
The nature of the post
·
Whether they make upward or downward comparisons
3. The
answers to the questions in this section
·
Kids no longer know how to communicate in person
·
Practical
·
Online conversations can stick around
4. The
answers to the questions in this section
·
The confrontation between people is performed in
front of an audience
·
Bullying.
·
Alter perceptions
5. The
answers to the questions in this section
·
It helped parents better understand their kids
and what they were going through
·
Less
·
People don’t focus on how many likes or shares
they have
