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Social media addiction

1. Briefly discuss how the images might be related to social media. Consider positive and negative
associations.

2. Say whether you have ever had the thoughts and feelings described in the statements. Expand on the
familiar statements.
If students don’t relate to the statements, ask them why people might have these thoughts and
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feelings.
• I have this nagging feeling that if I don’t keep scrolling, I might miss out on something important or
useful, possibly even life-changing.
• Some social media creators make exceptionally valuable content that is not available elsewhere.
• Arguing with strangers online and explaining how I am right and they are wrong can be extremely
satisfying.
• Regular use of social media ensures that I stay informed about the topics that are important to me.
• I just wanted to take a few minutes to watch some videos. The next thing I knew, an hour had
passed and I couldn’t even remember what I had watched.

3. Pair the terms with their opposite meanings. Explain in what way the terms represent opposite
meanings in the context of social media.
Start by asking students what they think ‘doomscrolling’, ‘filter bubble’, ‘infinite scrolling’ and
‘polarization’ are. If they’re unsure, read the definitions one by one and ask them which of the
words/phrases they define: infinite scrolling – a technique which allows users to go through content
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which never ends; filter bubble – personalized news and information fed to you by AI algorithms;
doomscrolling – constantly reading bad or negative news stories; polarization – separating people
into two groups with completely opposite opinions.
Possible answers: abstinence and consumption, bridge-building and polarization, doomscrolling and
news avoidance, filter bubble and unbiased user experience, infinite scrolling and page-based
navigation.

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Social media addiction

abstinence bridge-building consumption doomscrolling

filter bubble infinite scrolling news avoidance

page-based navigation polarization unbiased user experience

4. Watch the first part of a video [https://youtu.be/rooEBjZWpDc] about social media addiction (to
02:37) and discuss the questions.
Before discussing the questions, you can ask students which phenomena in ex. 3 are discussed in the
T video. Answers: (social media) consumption [00:26], abstinence (from social media) [00:50], infinite
scrolling [02:18], filter bubbles [02:27].
• In your experience, what exactly is it about social media
that raises our dopamine (‘feel-good’ hormone) levels
while using it?
• What would you say is the best way to stay informed
without succumbing to doomscrolling?
• How easy is it to break free from a filter bubble? Would
people be willing to do it? If they did, could it decrease
social polarization?
• The speaker in the video says that ‘social media are so
deeply connected to every aspect of our lives… that most
experts say we can’t easily quit’. Would you be interested in quitting social media altogether?
Why/Why not?
• Have you or someone you know ever tried reducing social media use time? How did it go?
• Is the addictiveness of social media an accidental outcome or a deliberate undertaking? Why do
you think so?

5. Watch the second part of the video (from 02:38) about the use of social media among adolescents
and ways to tackle social media addiction.

6. Complete the sentences with what you remember from the video and your own ideas.
Possible answers:

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Social media addiction

A. Children and adolescents who overuse social media are probably… more prone to having mental
health issues, but more research is necessary to support the claim [02:44].
B. Examples of actions taken to protect children and adolescents from the harm social media might
inflict on them are… allowing children to express how they feel about social media [03:13]; filing
lawsuits against social media platforms [03:49].
C. Specialists’ advice regarding the risk of social media overuse is… to go on a dopamine fast [04:12];
to notice your behaviour, e.g. using social media in a compulsive way [04:20].

7. Comment on the statements.

• 13 is the appropriate age to start using social media.
• Young people’s perspectives should always be taken into account when their mental health is
being considered.
• Becoming aware of the three Cs mentioned in the video (Control, Compulsion, Consequences)
should be able to help most people who struggle with social media addiction.
• Filing lawsuits against social media platforms might not result in immediate policy changes but it
does raise people’s awareness of the increasing evidence linking social media overuse to mental
health issues.

8. Look at some ideas to deal with the social media issue from the Advisory mentioned in the video and
explain where you would place them on the matrix.
• Ensure technology companies share data relevant to
the health impact of their platforms
• Develop age-appropriate health and safety standards
for technology platforms
• Prioritize user health and safety in the design and
development of social media products and services
• Teach kids about technology and empower them to be
responsible online participants at the appropriate age
• Create tech-free zones and encourage children to
foster in-person friendships
• Establish the impact of social media on youth mental health as a research priority
• Ensure governments engage with international partners working to protect children and
adolescents against online harm
Source: Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.