THEME: SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

How to phones are designed to be addictive teacher’s notes

LESSON OVERVIEW
Theme: Social media addiction, phone addiction
Functional language: using collocations to improve fluency
Overall Aims:
1. develop an awareness of phone addiction
2. learn new vocabulary to talk about smart phone and expressions related to addiction
3. be able to hear main ideas and supporting details in videos and audio materials

SPEAKING

TEACHER NOTE: The aim is to lead in to the lesson by activating students’ previous knowledge/experience.
Ask students to discuss the questions with a partner. If you are on an online platform, you can use the breakout
rooms. Give them around 5-7 minutes for this activity. Afterwards, hold a whole class discussion based on students’
responses.

With a partner, discuss the following questions.

a. How often do you take up your phone every day?

b. Is there an application on your phone that you use more than the

others? Why?
c. How can someone tell if they are using their phone too much?

KEYWORDS
1. Read the following sentences and match the words and phrases in bold with their definitions a–J. Then
in pairs / groups, compare your answers.

NOTES ABOUT DEFINITIONS AND KEYWORDS SELECTION: This lesson includes a list of Keywords, collocations
and expressions based on the relevant CEFR level. While not extensive, they are theme-related and are essential to
understand, speak or write about the topic. Although there may be multiple definition of a word, the definition given
is based on the context it was used in the text or video. You may encourage students to review these words and
expressions on their own outside class times.

1. He is now fighting his addiction to alcohol. : [ d ]

[ the condition of being unable to stop using or doing something as a habit, especially something harmful ]

2. Role-playing is a useful way of simulating real-life situations.: [ h ]

[ to create particular conditions that exist in real life using computers, models, etc., usually for study or
training purposes ]
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3. a reliable method of predicting earthquakes.:_[ a ]

[ to say that something will happen in the future ]

4. Research shows that people rely on visual cues more than internal cues to stop consuming something.: [ f ]

[ an action or event that is a signal for somebody to do something ]

5. People who are hooked will go to any lengths to satisfy their need for the drug. :[j]

[ a method used for getting people interested in and attracted to something, especially something that you
are selling ]

6. If you are not seeing the email I sent, try refreshing your inbox.: [ I ]

[ (computing) to make the most recent information show, for example on an internet page ]

7. In order to see the news article, scroll down to the bottom of the page. : [ c ]

[ to move text on a computer, screen up or down so that you can read different parts of it ]

8. The man, who she met online, tricked her in giving him all her money. :[e]

[ to make somebody believe something which is not true, especially in order to cheat them ]

9. Eye tracking studies have shown that users rarely look at display ads on web pages. [ b ]

[ to study the way that people's eyes move over a webpage in order to discover what, especially in
advertisements, attracts their attention ]

10. The horse-riding championship will attract a lot of tourists to the city.: [ g ]

[ to study the way that people's eyes move over a webpage in order to discover what, especially in
advertisements, attracts their attention ]

VIDEO COMPREHENSION
2. PREDICTING: You are going to watch a video on Accident Investigation and Reporting, It’s not you.
Phones are designed to be addicting (extract 0:00 -5:48).

TEACHER NOTE: Put students in small groups. Ask them to discuss the questions and to briefly note their
ideas down. Give them around five minutes for this first stage.

Think about the title. Can you think of any addictive feature of your phone and how it was designed? Write down
short notes. After watching, remember to check if your assumptions were correct.

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[ Reponses will vary. Individual student responses. ]

3b. Listen and complete the following comprehension questions. All answers should be in full sentences.

TEACHER NOTE: First have the students go through the questions, then play the video and have them
write down their answers. The video may be reached at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUMa0QkPzns

If necessary, play the video once again.

Authentic videos are a great way to build key listening skills. Ask your students to read the questions before
viewing to get an idea of the kind of information they should be listening for. Let them know that it is not essential
to understand everything but to understand the main ideas and message of the video. They should also use visual
clues in the video to help with comprehension. It is also OK to play the video more than once and if needed to
leave the video transcript on. If you have shorter time with your students than envisioned here, you may also
choose to flip your classroom (e.g.by encouraging students to do the reading before class).

CHECKING PREDICTION : Remind students to check their prediction after watching the video and to see
if their predictions were correct.

1. According to the video, why is it difficult for us to stop using our phones?

[ According to the video it is difficult to stop using our phones because our phones are designed to keep us
addicted. ]

2. List 2 of the 3 things you can do with your phone in order to reduce the amount of time you use it.

[ Two of the three things that we should do to reduce the amount of time on social media are to turn off
notification and to apply a grayscale to the screen of your phone.]

3. What is the role of notifications in keeping us addicted to our phones?

[ The role of notification in keeping us addicted is by simulating the human need for feelings of social
interaction. This need for social interaction indirectly forces us to use our phone more. ]

4. How does the use of colours used in apps keeps us using the phone?

[ Humans are very sensitive to colours. As a result, apps are intentional designed with colours that are known
to attract and give signal to the user. that makes then want to use their phones. ]

5. What is infinite scrolling? How is it a problem for users of apps?

[ Infinite scrolling is a functionality that allows users to continuous load new content, just by scrolling done.
This is a problem because as there is no end point to what the user can see, the user tries to scroll to the
bottom of the content. As a result, the user stays on an application a lot longer than if there was a simple end
point ]

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3c. Watch the video and complete the extract. Then watch the video again and check your answers.
(extract 1:07 - 2:04).

TEACHER NOTE: If you have shorter time with your students than envisioned here, you may also choose to
flip your classroom (e.g.by encouraging students to do this exercise before class) or assign as homework.

So I [1] [ handed ] him my phone and asked him how he'd fix it. It starts with [2] [ turning off ] all notifications,
except for when a real human is trying [3] [ to reach ] you. When you get a call, a text, or a [4] [ message ] , it's
usually because another person wants to [5] [ communicate ] with you, but a lot of today's apps simulate the
feeling of that kind of social [6] [ interaction ] , to get you to spend more time on their platform. If Facebook sends
you a push [7] [ notification ] that a friend is interested in an event near you, they're essentially acting like a
puppet [8] [ master ] , leveraging your desire for social connections so that you use the app more. But [9] [
notification ] didn't always work like this. When push [10] [ notifications ] were first introduced for email on
Blackberries in [11] [ 2003 ] , they were actually seen as a way for you to check your phone less. You could easily
see emails as they [12] [ came in ] , so you didn't have to repeatedly open your phone to [13] [ refresh ] an inbox.
But today you can get notifications from any app on your [14] [ phone ] So, every time you check it, you get this
[15] [ grab bag ] of notifications that can make you feel a broad variety of emotions.

CRITICAL THINKING
4. With a partner discuss the following questions then share your views with the rest of the class.

TEACHER NOTE: Put students in small groups and ask them to discuss the questions and to briefly note
their ideas down. Instruct students to use their smart phones to access the quiz mentioned, at
https://www.amexessentials.com/cell-phone-addiction-quiz/ . If smart phones or tablets are not accessible to
students, they may use computers, or alternatively you may print the quiz questions and have them work on
them together. Pre-teach as needed any unknown vocabulary.

1. What do you understand by “phone addiction”? Why is it bad?

2. Complete the quiz : “ How addicted are you to your phone?” and share your result with the class.
3. Do you think that you are addicted to your phone? If no, why not. If yes, based on the recommendations in
the video, what are some of the things that you could do to control your addiction?

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LANGUAGE FOCUS
5. VERBS + NOUN COLLOCATION: Choose a verb that goes well with the word in bold. Change the form
of the verb as needed.

TEACHER NOTE: If you have shorter time with your students than envisioned here, you may also choose to
flip your classroom (e.g.by encouraging students to do the exercises before class).

To curb | To grab | To update | To turn off | to spend | To check

a. We need to [ spend ] less time on social media platforms and more time with our families.
b. Many people [ update ] their content on social media to something new almost every hour!
c. It is important for teenagers [ to curb ] their addiction to social media.
d. Please [ check ] your email to see if you have received my messages.
e. It is important [ to turn off ] notification messages for non-essential apps on your phone.
f. When making a presentation it is important [to grab ] your audience attention.

6. ADJECTIVE + NOUN COLLOCATION: combine one word from list A with one word from list B to
make suitable phrases. One has been done for you.

ADJECTIVE LIST A NOUN LIST B PHRASE

Visual interaction Grab bag

Push cues Push notification
social colour Social interaction
grab lights Flashing lights
Flashing notification Bright colours
Bright bag Visual cues

i. The nature of [ social ] interaction has changed as technological advances have provided new means of contact.
ii. For many workers, [ push ] notifications from email are a source of great stress.
iii. Research has shown that adding [ flashing ] lights and music to slot machines encourages risky decision-
making.
iv. Advertisers believe that customers are more likely to buy when advertisements have [ bright ] colours.
v. Online shoppers mostly rely on [ visual ] cues such as those shown on websites, when shopping online.

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7. WORD FORMATION: Complete the table below with the correct form of the word. Then practice
using them in different sentences.

Adjective Nouns Verbs

1. Addictive Addiction/ addict To addict

2. Predictive Prediction To predict

3. Attractive Attraction To attract

4. Simulated simulation To simulate

TRANSFER ACTIVITY
8. PRESENTATION SKILLS

TEACHER NOTE: Depending on the length of the class, this can be an in-class exercise or a homework
assignment. Pre-teach as needed any unknown vocabulary. You can also ask students to do storyboarding
exercises in class and the final project completed as homework. Storyboarding is a brainstorming technique
that allows students to put their ideas down and to categorize and sequence them at a later time. Presentation
of final project can be done in class.

For this exercise, ask students to brainstorm the different information that they would need to include in
their proposal for it to be effective and note them down. Ask them to think about their audience and to also
consider HOW the information will be presented ( visuals, text etc). Ask them to search online for similar
information poster and explainer video to use an inspiration ( NOT TO COPY).

Suggestions for in-person classes collaboration: necessary materials could be markers or felt-tip pens and large
cards and tape or large sticky notes.
Suggestions for online classes collaboration: Invite students to use Padlet. https://padlet.com/ . This is a great
tool for students to contribute to a collaborative exercise. Padlet keeps everything arranged in a clean and
organized layout for easy readability.
If you are using Google classroom or Google drive, you might want to also consider Google’s Jamboard.
Jamboard is another great for online group collaboration. Students can work together to add images, sticky
notes etc https://jamboard.google.com/

Final project: As this is an English class, design skills are not necessary, especially when there are so many great
free tools available. Refer students to Canva for poster creation. Canva is an online graphic design platform that
offers prebuilt templates that students can use to quickly create posters in class.
https://www.canva.com/posters/templates/

For an explainer video, you can refer students to Powtoon. Like Canva, Powtoon offers prebuilt templates that
students can use to easily create videos in class or as a homework assignment. https://www.powtoon.com

You are working in a non-profit organisation for people who are suffering from different types of addiction. You
and your colleague have been asked by the manager to put in place a public awareness campaign on the problem
of cell phone addiction.

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Create a poster or explainer video, providing the steps everyone can take to reduce our chance of becoming
addicted. ( HINT: Use Canva and Powtoon).

9. ROLE PLAY

TEACHER NOTE: Pre-teach as needed any unknown vocabulary. You can either personally assign roles or
allow the students to decide. Students practice the exercise together before doing their performance for the
class. Make sure to be available to help students with any vocabulary they might need.
Suggestions for online classes collaboration: Assign groups to breakout rooms as needed. Encourage students
to let you know if they need help.

Student A: Congratulations; the poster / explainer video that you created about cell phone addiction was a
success! You are now invited to be a guest speaker on a popular podcast show called, “Freedom from Addiction”.
You will be interviewed about cell phone addiction and ways to deal with it. You have 10 minutes to prepare for
your interview.

Student B: You host a weekly podcast show called “Freedom from Addiction”. Every week you interview an
“Expert” who share their knowledge to help people suffering from addiction. Today, you will be interviewing an
Expert who will be talking about cell phone addiction and ways to deal with addiction. You have 10 minutes to
prepare a list of questions to ask your Expert.

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

IT’S NOT YOU. PHONES ARE DESIGNED TO BE ADDICTING.

I can’t stop looking at my phone. but I'm not alone. Over 2.5 billion people have smartphones now, and a lot of
them are having a hard time putting them down.

“There’s a new app that aims to curb phone addiction.” “Addiction is money.” “Are we a nation of smartphone
addicts?”

The problem is, our devices are designed to keeps us engaged. They’re intentionally addicting. But if you
understand the tricks that grab your attention, you can learn to have a healthier relationship with your phone.

“I think we're living inside of two billion Truman Shows. Where, you know, Truman Show, you wake up and
everything is sort of coordinated just for you. And you really don't even realize it, but it's coordinating just to
entertain you, or just to engage you.”

That’s Tristan Harris, he worked as Google's design ethicist, and now he runs a non-profit initiative called Time
Well Spent, advocating for awareness of how tech companies profit off of users' attention.

“It’s not designed to help us, it's just designed to keep us hooked.”

So I handed him my phone and asked him how he'd fix it. It starts with turning off all notifications, except for
when a real human is trying to reach you. When you get a call, a text, or a message, it's usually because another
person wants to communicate with you, but a lot of today's apps simulate the feeling of that kind of social
interaction, to get you to spend more time on their platform.

If Facebook sends you a push notification that a friend is interested in an event near you, they're essentially
acting like a puppet master, leveraging your desire for social connections so that you use the app more. But
notifications didn't always work like this. When push notifications were first introduced for email on Blackberries
in 2003, they were actually seen as a way for you to check your phone less. You could easily see emails as they
came in, so you didn't have to repeatedly open your phone to refresh an inbox. But today you can get notifications
from any app on your phone. So, every time you check it, you get this grab bag of notifications that can make
you feel a broad variety of emotions.

If it wasn't for random, if it was predictably bad or predictably good, then you would not get addicted.

The predictability would take out the addictiveness. And, it's effective. Slot machines make more money in the
US than baseball, movies, and theme parks combined and they become addicting about 3-4 times faster than
other kinds of gambling. Some apps even replicate the process of pulling a slot machine lever with the "pull to
refresh" feature.

That's a conscious design choice. Those apps are usually capable of continuously updating content, but the pull
action provides an addicting illusion of control over that process. In the future, we might see healthier ways of
delivering notifications. Research shows that bundling notifications, where phones deliver a batch of updates at
set times, reduces user stress.

Then, you have to grayscale your screen. The easiest way to attract your eye's attention on a screen is through
color. Human eyes are sensitive to warm colors. In eye-tracking tests like this one, they gravitate particularly to
bright red. That's why so many apps have redesigned their icons to be brighter, bolder, and warmer over the
years. It’s also why notification bubbles are red. A little icon like this, or this, doesn't have the same impact on
your attention as this. But you can neutralize that distracting effect by selecting a greyscale color filter in your

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phone’s accessibility settings. When you make everything black and white, your brain isn't tricked into thinking
that this is any more important to you than this.

“I mean, there's a reason why slot machines are bright and color and flashing lights and ding ding ding ding ding.
They have the sensory input too, right. And so, just noticing that if I take out the color, it changes some of the
addictiveness.”

Finally, restrict your home screen to everyday tools.

“Make sure that your home screen, when you unlock it, doesn't have anything except for the in-the-moment
tools that help you live your life. I have Lyft, to get somewhere when I need to get somewhere, Maps, Calendar.
None of these are apps that I can fall into and then get sucked down some bottomless vortex of stuff.”

If you're not sure what counts as a bottomless vortex of stuff, it helps to filter out apps that use infinite scrolling.
Unlike pagination, where users have to click to load new content on another page, infinite scrolling continuously
loads new material so there's no built-in endpoint .

Video autoplay works in a similar way. These interfaces create a frictionless experience, but they also create a
user's sense of control and make it harder to stop. Research shows that people rely on visual cues more than
internal cues to stop consuming something.

In a 2005 study, individuals who ate soup out of a self-refilling bowl, ate 73% more than those who ate out of a
normal bowl filled up by servers. But those who ate from the self-refilling bowl, didn't feel any more satisfied. So,
a visual cue, like an endpoint, is better at telling you the right time to stop than your own sense of satisfaction.
And because so many apps don't have an endpoint, you have to build your home screen around the eventuality
of distraction.

We check our phones a lot. Most of us drastically underestimate how often we do so. But technology might not
always look this way. There are ideas for alternative interfaces that give you functional choices and are more
transparent about how much time you'll lose with one action, versus another.

“But it's a really deep philosophical question: what is genuinely worth your attention? On an interruptive basis?
Do people even know how to answer that question? It's a really hard question, it's not something we think about.”

But, for now, it's a question that everybody needs to start asking. Thank you so much for watching, this has been
episode 1 of By Design, this is gonna be a new series looking at different topics in design, in technology, looking
at how human decisions on one end of creating something affect people on the other end.

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