18 B1 | 5. Klasse | READING | Communication and relationships Read the article about the effects of social media on teenagers, then choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for questions 1–6. Put a cross ( ) in the correct box. The first one (0) has been done for you. 7 Look at the title, subtitle and any pictures and think about what you already know about the topic. Predict what the text will be about. Then skim the text for general meaning. Think about who wrote the text and why. Remember that the words in the question stem and options will probably not be the same as the words in the text, so look for synonyms and other ways of saying things. Read the questions and decide where you can find the answer to each question. Remember that the questions follow the order of the text. Top tips Teenagers, technology and texting Medical professionals say young people are growing up with high levels of anxiety and low levels of self-confidence due to overuse of technology. Teens are experts at keeping themselves occupied in the hours after school until way past bedtime. When they’re not studying – or even when they are – they’re on their phones, texting, sharing, trolling (deliberately trying to cause arguments, often anonymously, in an online social community) or scrolling. Of course, long before Instagram accounts came around, teens kept themselves busy too, but they were more likely to do their chatting on the phone or while hanging out at the shopping mall. It may have looked a lot like aimless hanging around, but what they were doing was experimenting, trying out skills and succeeding and failing in lots of tiny real-time interactions that teenagers today are missing out on. Psychologist Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair explains that humans are highly skilled at reading social cues. “There’s no question kids are missing out on critical social skills through texting and online communication,” she says. This is because when we communicate through text, we can’t see the other person’s body language or facial expression, nor can we notice small changes in the person’s voice. Making friends is a major part of growing up, and friendship involves some risk-taking, whether it’s making new friends or managing friendships. If there are problems, it takes courage to be honest about your feelings and then hear what the other person has to say. “Part of healthy self-esteem is knowing how to say what you think and feel, even when you’re in disagreement with other people or it feels emotionally risky,” explains Steiner-Adair. If teens don’t get enough practice connecting with people in person, many of them will grow up being anxious about our main means of communication – talking. And, of course, social conversations get riskier as people get older and begin dealing with romantic relationships and take up employment in the workplace. According to psychologist Dr. Donna Wick, another danger that comes from communicating online and through texting is that it’s easy to become cruel. “Kids text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years consider saying to anyone’s face,” says Wick. She says that this seems especially true of girls, who typically don’t like to disagree with each other in ‘real life’. Peer acceptance is a big thing for adolescents, and many teens become obsessed about their image. They measure how much people like them or their appearance through the number of ‘likes’ they get. Consequently, they spend hours on their online identities, aiming to be perfect. Teenage girls can sort through hundreds of photos to find the ‘right’ one to post online, while teenage boys may compete for attention by trying to be ruder than their mates. As SteinerAdair explains, the more identities you have, the harder it’s going to be to feel good about yourself. With smartphones, we’re never really alone. Teens update their status, share what they’re watching and listening to, and have apps that let their friends know their location at all times. They’re connected 24/7. “But that, in itself, can produce anxiety,” says Wick. It’s surprisingly easy to feel lonely in the middle of all that connection – when you’re waiting for the response that doesn’t come, the silence can be deafening. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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