Digital habits across generations

Read an article about how people at different ages use computers and smartphones to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Reading text

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, 'I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.'

Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they're not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. 'It's my alarm clock so I have to,' she says. 'I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.'

Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. 'We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,' she says. 'It's changed my social life completely.'

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. 'I was always connected and I felt like I was always working,' he says. 'How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?' So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. 'I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.'

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

Who uses their phone the most among your family or friends?

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Language level

B1 Intermediate

Topics

social media

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In my opinion, most youths including me spend our time by using social media.It might be dangerous for next generation.We should change our behaviours.

In my opinion I spend most of my time on the phone but there are pros and cons. The advantages of the fact that I meet and communicate with different people, get interesting and informative information from the Internet. Disadvantages that I spend time online, so you can communicate with family more, spend time outdoors and do different things

I think I spend a lot of time on my phone, but I don't think it's very bad because I communicate with other people on social networks + during distance learning, the phone becomes a best friend

Hmm, modern technologies are available to everyone, but what did you doubt?

I think our phones it’s part of our life and today it’s normal , but I should used internet rarely

My mother like the mother in the article uses Facebook for different purposes.For example, she can find necessary imformation, chat with relatives anf even play some games

This information is very interesting for me. It's funny to watch grandparents use gatgets.I'm glad to see them happy about it.

I'm more addicted to the phone, I can't be without Instagram and other messengers for a long time, but sometimes I leave my phone and spend time with my family, and sometimes I just do my homework and have no time on the phone

i am the more addicted on my phone, actually i am forced to be online all the time cause my work depends on phone ,i admit that i am missing out on spending time with my family ,however, i am trying to cut off from mobile in weekends as i am less keen by facebook and social media .

Unfortunately, most people that I know, more than normal use smartphones and social media. Although technologies such as the internet, smartphones, and social media are very useful to our lives, addiction to them is very bad. For example in our family, my wife, my father, etc. use their smartphones more than usual. but I try to manage my usage.