Read the article and do the tasks that follow.
Why be a screenager?
Jo, 14
I was on social media 24/7 but when my smartphone broke, I didn’t replace it. I’ve never felt better but nearly all people my age just don’t understand my decision. If their phone doesn’t beep every two seconds, they get worried. If they’re bored, they pick up their mobile. It’s how they communicate, spend free time and have fun. But how much fun is staring at a screen and waiting for the next message?
I don’t think I’m missing out on a social life. The people I want to hang out with are all close by. When someone wants to see me, they just knock on the door. Or we arrange to meet up during the school day. And my life is so full I don’t have time to sit around messaging people. I sing and do street dance and I also design my own clothes. I get everything I need from the internet on my laptop. Living without a smartphone isn’t like being on another planet. In fact, it makes me more independent and creative. Why not give it a go?
Craig, 15
A few months ago, I lost my smartphone and never found it. The first few days were awful. I really felt I was missing out on everything but now I don’t think about social media much. Who cares how many likes a selfie gets or which songs everyone is listening to? I like to make up my own mind and not think the same as everyone else. The teens who are on social media are the same people I see at school or at the youth club anyway. I don’t need apps like Snapchat to plan a game of football or to decide to download a film.
To me, a phone should be a way of planning entertainment, not the entertainment itself. I spend my free time skateboarding, playing my guitar and writing songs. I don’t need a mobile for any of that! If I need a phone in the future, of course I’ll get one. But for now, I find social media a bit dull. Going out with my mates is just more personal to me and more fun. Try it. If you switch off your phone today, you won’t lose all your friends tomorrow, honest
Task 1. Read the article quickly. Who did Jo and Craig write it for?
A. app developers
B. other teenagers
C. parents and teachers
Task 2. Read the article again. For each question, choose the correct answer.
1. Jo believes that most teenagers ___________
A. rely on social media too much.
B. have fun messaging each other.
C. worry about how long they spend on social media.
D. understood her feelings about social media.
2. What does Jo say about her life now?
A. She arranges to meet her friends more often.
B. She misses her friends who are online.
C. She wishes she could be more independent.
D. She has plenty to do without social media.
3 Craig isn’t interested in social media because ___________
A. his friends from school aren’t on social media either.
B. he prefers to have his own opinions on things.
C. he thinks there are too many selfies.
D. he can’t find an app for the activities he likes.
4. What does Craig say about mobile phones?
A. He knows you can use them to make new friends.
B. They can offer different types of entertainment.
C. He may decide to have one at some time.
D. They might be useful for advertising his songs.
5. What would be a good introduction to this article?
A. Young people spend their whole lives online. Here are two teenagers who couldn’t live without their smartphone.
B. Are these teenagers refusing to be like everyone else? Jo and Craig tell us why they’ve lived their whole life without using a smartphone.
C. Not every teenager relies on their smartphone for entertainment. Meet two young people who gave up life online to enjoy real life.
D. Why do all young people spend their lives on social media? Jo and Craig argue what’s good and bad about smartphones.
Task 3. Find words/phrases in the article that have these meanings.
1 make a short high sound (para 1): ___________
2 looking at something without moving your eyes (para 1): ___________
3 make plans (para 2): ___________
4 try it (para 2): ___________
5 copy information or a program, usually over the internet (para 3): ___________
Task 4. Which of these adjectives would you use to describe Jo and Craig? Why?
brave confident interesting old-fashioned strange unusual
ANSWER KEY
Task 1.
1. B
Task 2.
1. A 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. C
Task 3.
1. beep
2. staring
3. arrange
4. give it a go
5. download
Task 4. Example answer
“I think Jo is confident, because she doesn’t care what her friends say. She’s also interesting because she does a lot of things like designing her own clothes.”