The Reading / Listening - Social Media - Level 0

An ex-Facebook boss said social media is harming our society. His job was to get more Facebook users. He feels bad about this. Twenty years ago, people talked to each other. Today, they message and don't talk. People worry too much about what others think. They get sad if people don't like the photos they post.

The man wants people to take a break from social media. He wants people to like each other instead of liking online "likes". Fake news is changing the world. A lot of "news" is untrue. People post lies about other people. This is a global problem. The man banned his children from social media. But, he said Facebook was good.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Social Media - Level 1,  Social Media - Level 2   or  Social Media - Level 3

Sources
    https://www.
  • theverge.com
    • /2017/12/11/16761016/former-facebook-exec-ripping-apart-society http://
  • mashable.com
    • /2017/12/11/former-facebook-exec-destroying-how-society-works-chamath-palihapitiya/ https://www.
  • theguardian.com
    • /technology/2017/dec/11/facebook-former-executive-ripping-society-apart


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. His job was to get more
  2. He feels bad
  3. people talked to
  4. Today, they message
  5. People worry too
  6. what others
  7. They get
  8. people don't like the photos
  1. sad
  2. and don't talk
  3. they post
  4. about this
  5. think
  6. Facebook users
  7. each other
  8. much

Paragraph 2

  1. The man wants people to take
  2. He wants people to like each
  3. instead of liking online
  4. Fake news is changing
  5. People post lies about
  6. This is a global
  7. The man banned his children
  8. he said Facebook was
  1. problem
  2. good
  3. a break
  4. from social media
  5. other
  6. "likes"
  7. other people
  8. the world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An ex-Facebook boss said social media (1) __________________ society. His job was (2) ___________________ Facebook users. He feels (3) ___________________. Twenty years ago, people talked (4) ___________________. Today, they message and don't talk. People worry (5) ___________________ what others think. They get sad if people don't like the (6) ___________________.

The man wants people to (7) ___________________ from social media. He wants people to like each (8) ___________________ liking online "likes". Fake news (9) ___________________ world. A lot of "news" is untrue. People (10) ___________________ other people. This is (11) ___________________. The man banned his children (12) ___________________. But, he said Facebook was good.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Facebookbosssaidsocialmediaisharmingoursociety.Hisjobwastoget
moreFacebookusers.Hefeelsbadaboutthis.Twentyyearsago,peopl
etalkedtoeachother.Today,theymessageanddon'ttalk.Peopleworryt
oomuchaboutwhatothersthink.Theygetsadifpeopledon'tlikethephot
ostheypost.Themanwantspeopletotakeabreakfromsocialmedia.He
wantspeopletolikeeachotherinsteadoflikingonline"likes".Fakenewsi
schangingtheworld.Alotof"news"isuntrue.Peoplepostliesaboutother
people.Thisisaglobalproblem.Themanbannedhischildrenfromsocial
media.But,hesaidFacebookwasgood.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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