Reading Practice

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo
• Leerjaar 3

Read the text

On a cold morning in Charville, Queensland, Australia, 18-year-old Jordi serves coffee to the sleepy town. Charville is its own world; however, Jordi feels social media is like a second reality.

Jordi spends around 5.5 hours a day online, reduced from the 7-8 hours she used to during high school, mostly on TikTok and Snapchat. The decrease was due to personal growth and bullying, when boys told her to kill herself on TikTok. Despite the negativity, putting down her phone felt impossible because of the fear of missing out. Social media has both positive and negative impacts on Jordi’s mental health, making her feel happy but insecure at the same time.

Dr. Alisa Werner-Sidler studies the connection between screen time and teen mental health. She suggests that more research and data sharing from tech companies are needed. Social media platforms have safety measures, but their enforcement is questionable. Jordi is grateful for her mother’s intervention in reducing her screen time. She believes that a temporary social media shutdown could benefit everyone.

Vocabulary 

Enforcement: Making people obey a rule or law

Intervention: Becoming involved in a difficult situation to improve it or prevent it

Shutdown: Turning off

Where does Jordi live and work?

1. Sydney, Australia
2. Charville, Queensland
3. New York City, USA
4. Melbourne, Australia

How many hours a day does Jordi now spend online?

1. 8 hours
2. 10 hours
3. 5.5 hours
4. 3 hours

Why did Jordi stop using social media as much as before?

1. She lost her phone.
2. She was bored of it.
3. She wanted to study more.
4. She was bullied and wanted to grow personally.

How does social media make Jordi feel?

1. Only happy
2. Only sad
3. Both happy and insecure
4. Angry all the time

What does Jordi think about a short social media shutdown?

1. It would be boring.
2. It could help everyone.
3. It would be a waste of time.
4. It is not possible.

Should teenagers be allow to use social media as much as they want? Why or why not?

Work with a partner or alone

Write down 3 positives and 3 negatives of social media for teens. 

Share your ideas.