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By the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Understand the structure of the final integrated reading-writing test.

2. Demonstrate understanding of two 200-word contrasting texts on a social media theme through summary

3. Express an opinion on a controversial issue drawing on the most important points in the texts

4. Synthesise information and express an opinion in a 300-word argumentative extended paragraph

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Task Two: Identify Where You Stand on Social Media

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Task Two: Identify Where You Stand on Social Media

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Firstly, have a look at the pictures below. Can you identify each of the social media tools? Which ones do you you use? Why? Why not?
What do Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging help you to do?How do you feel about Facebook and Twitter?
Click HERE to take a poll

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Task Three: Learn Vocabulary connected with Social Media

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Task Three: Learn Vocabulary connected with Social Media

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This news article has some difficult vocabulary. Before you begin, get orientated to the new words by using the quizlet below.

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Task Four: Brainstorm ideas to support an opinion

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Task Four: Brainstorm ideas to support an opinion

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Work in a small groups. Think of reasons to help you to support these statements. Copy the table below and write your answers in the open spaces, arguing both for and against what is stated in the left-hand column.

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Using your for and against notes to support your opinions, discuss the statements with your group

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You are going to read an article in The Guardian newspaper about social media.

Please answer the following questions after reading the text.

1. Why does professor Sherry Turkle appear on US TV?

2. What is Turkle's main argument? Summarise her view your own words.

3. What does Professor William Kist say about modern technology?

4. According to the article, why might ‘Google be making us stupid’?

5. What does Eugene Morozov argue argue about modern technology? Summarise his argument in your own words.

6. The text features some key vocabulary. What do you understand by the terms:

backlash

pathological

netiquette

7. What does Professor Kist suggest should be put in place?
8. Discuss your opinion of the arguments in the article.
9. Evaluative Writing - Write a critical evaluation as a response to this article in your Personal Module 6 folder. Use the guide (and sample) in Week 22 (Google Drive- Critical Evaluation) to help you structure your writing (250 -300 words).

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Task Seven: Supplementary Reading Practice        

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Task Seven: Supplementary Reading Practice        

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Does Social Media pose a mental health risk?
Read the following article and discuss answers to the following questions.

1. According to the article, what are some of the detrimental effects of Facebook?

2. According to the article, Facebook has recently launched two applications "Snooze" and "Take a break." What is the aim of each application?

3. Founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg argues, that the company wants the user to have 'meaningful interactions' but others have criticised the platform. List some of the criticisms of Facebook.

4. Discuss the similarities/differences between Facebook and the social media platform WeChat. To what extent do the ideas in the article apply to Wechat?
ITIR

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Facebook has acknowledged that social media use can be bad for users' mental health, a sign the company is feeling pressure from a growing chorus of critics raising alarms about the platform's effect on society.

Researchers for the social network admitted in a blogpost Friday that studies have found that spending time on Facebook "passively consuming information" can leave people "feeling worse", but also argued that part of the solution is to engage and interact more with people on the platform.

The company's public recognition of some of its platform's detrimental effects came days after a former Facebook executive made headlines with a speech slamming the corporation, saying: "The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth."
Former Facebook executive: social media is ripping society apart
The blogpost, which also announced new tools meant to mitigate some of the negative experiences on Facebook, came at the end of a year of intense scrutiny and bad press for the company. Facebook has repeatedly been accused of spreading Russian propaganda and fake news, providing a platform and network for white supremacists, enabling hate speech and offensive ads and censoring critics of oppressive governments.

The company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has asked for forgiveness and claimed his new mission was to "bring the world closer together".

Studies have repeatedly found that Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites can damage the emotional wellbeing of heavy users, particularly younger people. The new post from Facebook's director of research, David Ginsberg, and the research scientist Moira Burke painted the literature on the subject as mixed and inconclusive, arguing that Facebook use can also have positive mental health impacts.

Ginsberg and Burke claimed that "actively interacting with people - especially sharing messages, posts and comments with close friends and reminiscing about past interactions - is linked to improvements in well-being". They cited one study suggesting that students who scrolled through their own Facebook profiles experienced " boosts in self-affirmation " compared with others who looked at strangers' pages.

The authors, however, also pointed to a study finding that people who clicked on four times as many links as the average person on Facebook reported worse mental health. The blog further acknowledged that reading about others online might lead to " negative social comparison " and that some theorize that the internet takes people away from in-person social engagement.

The post also referenced a psychologist's claims that mobile phones have redefined modern relationships, making people "alone together", and another expert's arguments that an increase in teen depression is linked to technology use.

On Friday, Facebook launched a new feature called Snooze, which allows users to hide a person, page or group for 30 days without having to unfollow or unfriend them: "This will give people more control over their feed and hopefully make their experience more positive."

The company also unveiled a tool called Take a Break, meant to help users going through break-ups, recognizing that seeing an ex-partner's social media activities can be emotionally painful. The new feature gives people control over what they can see of their exes on Facebook and what their exes can see on their pages.

"In sum, our research and other academic literature suggests that it's about how you use social media that matters when it comes to your well-being," the blog authors wrote, adding a quote from Zuckerberg, saying: "We want the time people spend on Facebook to encourage meaningful social interactions."
The new cold war: how our focus on Russia obscures social media's real threat
Zuckerberg also claimed last month that he believed "protecting our community is more important than maximizing our profits".

Facebook, however, has continually prioritized features designed to make the platform addictive and has allowed users to instantaneously purchase harmful ads without scrutiny. The company has also struggled to stop the spread of offensive live videos on the platform, some featuring graphic abuse and violence.

On Thursday, Chamath Palihapitiya, the former executive who criticized the company, walked back his comments, saying: "I genuinely believe that Facebook is a force for good in the world."
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Facebook admits it poses mental health risk - but says using site more can help

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Facebook has acknowledged that social media use can be bad for users' mental health, a sign the company is feeling pressure from a growing chorus of critics raising alarms about the platform's effect on society.

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Task Eight: Supplementary Listening Practice

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Task Eight: Supplementary Listening Practice

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Does social media have a negative impact on wellbeing?

Watch the following episode of BTN and discuss answers to the following questions.

1. According to BTN, which social media apps are the most popular? Give some examples.

2. According to BTN, what are some of the negative impacts of social media?

3. According to BTN which social media app has the worst outcome interns of wellbeing and self-esteem?

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Social media - it's been taking over our screens one 'like' at a time.

FIN: I sometimes use Facebook, but more often I use Instagram and Snapchat.

ROSE: I follow all my friends, mainly, but sometimes I'm looking at celebrity's accounts.

TAMSIN: Ahh, I go on it daily 'cause I have streaks. If you don't know what streaks are it's on Snapchat where you speak to someone every day and you start a streak and it counts the days.

LILY: If I'm not doing homework, I'm probably spending like half an hour on it at the least! I use it quite a bit, I should probably cut back on it quite a bit.

Stats show around 7 out of 10 Australians use Facebook, 1 in 2 watch YouTube, 1 in 5 are on Instagram and 1 in 6 are Snapchatting, and when it comes to younger people those last two are even more popular. It's got some experts are worried about the impact all this social media screen time could be having on users, especially young people first joining up at 12 or 13.

LILY: I think cyber bullying happens quite a bit on social networking.

WILL: Young people sorta want to better themselves so they can look like celebrities and people that these photos of them aren't actually real.

ROSE: Social media can often make people feel left out if they're not at an event or tagged in a photo and they can feel really upset about themselves and left out.

A recent survey asked nearly 1,500 14 to 24 year olds in the UK to rate the impact of the top five forms of social media on their health and wellbeing. It included stuff like their sleep, feelings of sadness or anxiety, their ability to express themselves, bullying, body image and fear of missing out. Instagram came out with the most negative score, especially when it came to things like impact on sleep, body image and FOMO, although many also said it helped them express themselves. YouTube rated really badly for impact on sleep, but it was the only site that had a positive impact in most categories, including helping to support young people if they were feeling sad or lonely.

The experts who carried out the survey suggested ways to make social media a more positive experience. They include making pop-ups to warn when someone's been using social media for a long time and putting an alert on photos of people that've been digitally altered to help with body image issues. Some social media sites are already trying to encourage users to make more positive content, while others have brought in ways to try to tackle bullying, harmful content and negative comments.

But some reckon it's also important for young people to be taught how to tackle the good and bad of social media, because - let's face it - it isn't going away anytime soon!

TAMSIN: I think you should just be natural and honest and truthful throughout all of social media.

ROSE: I think social media should be used for expressing yourself and not worry about how many people are following you or other things like that.

WILL: Just be nice to everyone on there. Don't post anything that you don't want your parents to see.

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Recently a study in the UK asked more than a thousand young people about their social media activity. It found four of the five most popular social media sites were actually having a negative effect on their wellbeing. But which sites were found to be the most negative and, more importantly, why?

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Is Social Media turning you into a narcissist?
This test is pitched at B2-C1 and can be used for higher level students wanting an extension task. Recommend introducing the story of Narcissus (prior).