Class XB October 2nd 2014

Name__________________________

Unit 1 - Students handout
TEENAGERS AND MOBILE PHONE ADDICTION


















I. Read the text below and answer the questions that follow:
Students spend up to ten hours a day on their mobile phones, a study found. Some even say they feel stressed if their
phone is not in sight. A team at Baylor University in Texas found that female students spent an average of ten hours a day
texting, emailing and on social media while their male counterparts spent nearly eight.
Lead author James Roberts said the idea of becoming addicted to using a mobile phone was an increasingly realistic
possibility. The online survey asked 164 students how long they spent using different functions or apps on their phone. When
asked, 60 per cent said they might be addicted to their mobile. Overall, they spent the most time texting, at an average of 94.6
minutes each day.
They spent 48.5 minutes using email and 38.6 minutes checking Facebook, while the internet claimed 34.4 minutes
and listening to music took 26.9 minutes.
Some functions - among them using apps such as Pinterest and Instagram - are associated significantly with mobile
addiction, but others that might logically seem to be addictive - such as internet use and gaming - were not.
Women spent more time using their phones. Men sent roughly the same number of emails as women, but spent less
time on each one. Professor Roberts said: That may suggest that they're sending shorter, more utilitarian messages than their
female counterparts. 'Women may be more inclined to use phones for social reasons such as texting or emails to
build relationships and have deeper conversations. But he warned using a mobile too much could be harmful. He said:
Cellphones may wind up being an escape mechanism from their classrooms. For some, phones in class may provide a way to
cheat. Some people use a cell to dodge an awkward situation. They may pretend to take a call, send a text or check their
phones.
The study, in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, noted that mobiles can be both freeing and enslaving.
Professor Roberts commented: We need to identify the activities that push cellphone use from being a helpful tool to
one that undermines our well-being and that of others. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk)

1. How much time do students spend on their mobile phones in a day?
______________________________________________________________________
2. Who spends more time using the phone, a man or a woman?
______________________________________________________________________
3. How many students admitted they might be addicted to their phone?
______________________________________________________________________


4. Which are students favourite activities on the phone (according to the text)?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Why are women more inclined to use mobile phones?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What words are used in the study to describe mobile phones?
______________________________________________________________________________
II. Write the numbers in the text with letters:
164...................................................
60........................................
94...................................................
48............................................
38....................................................
34........................................
26...................................................
III. Explain the following words and expressions:
to be on sight........................................................
survey.................................................
apps................................................
to be addicted to.................................................
to warn...............................................
to dodge a situation......................................
well-being............................................................
IV. Match the text message on the left with its translation in real English on the right.
1) C U L8R M8 a) As far as I know.
2) B4 b) Love you with all my heart
3) AFAIK c) Boring
4) W8 4 ME, IM L8, SOZ d) Text me back
5) KIT e) Have a nice day
6) RUOK? f) See you later mate
7) LUWAMH g) Keep in touch
8) HAND h) Easy
9) Zzzzzzzzz i.) Are you okay?
10) KOTL j) Wait for me, Im late, sorry
11) TMB k) See you tonight or tomorrow
12) 0 ME l) By the way
13) EZ m) Before
14) BTW n) Ring me
15) C U 2NITE O 2MORO o) Kiss on the lips
V. We can use text messaging as a form of communication in many different situations. Read the contexts in the
table and discuss with a partner or group whether you think its a good idea or a bad idea to use text messaging. Give
reasons for your decisions in the comments column.
Texting Contexts Good idea? Bad idea?
To ask somebody out on a first date.
To finish a relationship.
To wish a friend happy birthday.
To say sorry to a friend for a mistake you made.
To ask for advice from an organisation.
For a teacher to tell you the homework.
For a teacher to give you your marks or arrange a tutorial.
For schools to keep in touch with parents.