The Reading / Listening - Digital Detox - Level 5

Digital devices are everywhere in our lives these days. Many of us are addicted to them. There are new studies every day about the dangers to health of being glued to small screens. Children are not exercising; people are worrying about their body image because of online pressure; and people are being bullied by cyber-criminals. In a study of 1,000 adults in Japan, researchers found that half of the participants were addicted to their smartphones. They were unaware of their smartphone dependence. The study called for people to try "digital detox".

Digital detox involves switching off from the Internet to enjoy "real life". It involves the bygone custom of talking to people face to face and "doing everyday stuff". A digital detox organisation in Japan said: "We want detox to be a catalyst for people to rethink their distance from their devices…to get ample rest." People should rely less on devices to avoid the new phenomenon of "nomophobia" – NO MObile PHOBIA. A psychologist warned of the dangers of being too absorbed in smartphones. She said people who ignore their responsibilities because of being online should try a digital detox.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Digital Detox - Level 4 or  Digital Detox - Level 6

Sources
  • https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/02/f6cc2d484462-feature-digital-detox-gains-allure-in-japan-amid-rising-screen-times.html
  • https://health.clevelandclinic.org/digital-detox/
  • https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/you-can-keep-your-digital-detox-i-ll-stay-connected-20220221-p59y7h.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. everywhere in our
  2. Many of us are
  3. new studies every day about
  4. being glued
  5. people are worrying about
  6. because of online
  7. half of the
  8. unaware of their smartphone
  1. the dangers
  2. dependence
  3. to small screens
  4. pressure
  5. lives these days
  6. participants
  7. addicted to them
  8. their body image

Paragraph 2

  1. switching
  2. the bygone custom
  3. doing everyday
  4. a catalyst for people
  5. get ample
  6. People should rely
  7. avoid the new phenomenon
  8. being too absorbed
  1. of "nomophobia"
  2. stuff
  3. rest
  4. less on devices
  5. off from the Internet
  6. to rethink
  7. in smartphones
  8. of talking

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Digital devices (1) ___________________ our lives these days. Many of us are (2) ___________________. There are new studies every day about the dangers to health of (3) ___________________ small screens. Children are not exercising; people are worrying about their body image because (4) ___________________; and people are being bullied by cyber-criminals. In a study of 1,000 adults in Japan, researchers found that half (5) ___________________ were addicted to their smartphones. They were unaware of their smartphone dependence. The study called for people to (6) ___________________.

Digital detox (7) ___________________ ff from the Internet to enjoy "real life". It involves (8) ___________________ of talking to people face to face and "doing everyday stuff". A digital detox organisation in Japan said: "We want detox to (9) ___________________ for people to rethink their distance from their devices...to get ample rest." People should (10) ___________________ devices to avoid the new phenomenon of "nomophobia" - NO MObile PHOBIA. A psychologist warned of the dangers of (11) ___________________ in smartphones. She said people (12) ___________________ responsibilities because of being online should try a digital detox.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Digitaldevicesareeverywhereinourlivesthesedays.Manyofusareaddi
ctedtothem.Therearenewstudieseverydayaboutthedangerstohealt
hofbeinggluedtosmallscreens.Childrenarenotexercising;peopleare
worryingabouttheirbodyimagebecauseofonlinepressure;andpeople
arebeingbulliedbycyber-criminals.Inastudyof1,000adultsinJapan,r
esearchersfoundthathalfoftheparticipantswereaddictedtotheirsmar
tphones.Theywereunawareoftheirsmartphonedependence.Thestud
ycalledforpeopletotry"digitaldetox".Digitaldetoxinvolvesswitchingo
fffromtheInternettoenjoy"reallife".Itinvolvesthebygonecustomoftal
kingtopeoplefacetofaceand"doingeverydaystuff".Adigitaldetoxorga
nisationinJapansaid:"Wewantdetoxtobeacatalystforpeopletorethin
ktheirdistancefromtheirdevices...togetamplerest."Peopleshouldrel
ylessondevicestoavoidthenewphenomenonof"nomophobia"-NOM
ObilePHOBIA.Apsychologistwarnedofthedangersofbeingtooabsorbe
dinsmartphones.Shesaidpeoplewhoignoretheirresponsibilitiesbeca
useofbeingonlineshouldtryadigitaldetox.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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