Friends on Facebook

 
 
 

Vocabulary

await	inhabitant	generation
amuse	provide	suspect (2)
dozen	chance	demonstrate
pose	eagerly	dependent
flash	put out	reservation (2)
share	intimate	competence
reveal	sensitize	strengthen
guard	put down	it’s as though
survey	safeguard	sphere (3)
bully	glimpse	unsuspecting

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transript

In Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, there are some seventeen million mobile phones. The country now has more of them than inhabitants.

And a lot of those people are completely dependent on their smart phones.

Maya and Candela belong to the new Facebook generation. In the past three years, the use of social media in Argentina has increased by almost seventy five percent.

The two girls virtually never put down their smart phones — certainly not in their free time.

“We use them to amuse ourselves and communicate with our friends,” says Maya. “And to get more information. It’s just more practical and useful.”

“We like to use our Whatapp, blackberry, or texting,” says Candela.

The thirteen year olds rarely use old media.

Vanina Berghell says that more than fifty percent of kids in this age group exchange personal data via social networking sites.

Vanina Berghell, Social Media Expert: “Facebook chat is one of the features they use most often. They also share photos and other things they want people to see. And then of course, they want to share their ideas and opinions about them.”

Everyday the girlfriends upload dozens of photos that demonstrate to the whole world how close their relationship is.

Whoever gets the most ‘likes’ also get the chance to be invited to next birthday party.

Maya and Candela often spend all afternoon finding new subjects and poses for their pictures.

Candela: “Oh that reflects too much in the mirror. Oh I left the flash on. That’s better. Look. No look at my skin — it’s yellow.”

But they upload the picture anyway. And eagerly await the reactions.

Teenagers have no reservations about putting themselves out there on the net. And providing intimate glimpses into their private lives.

We adults are more reserved when it comes to revealing things about ourselves.

Maya and Candela say they have never had any negative experiences on the internet.

But in Catholic, conservative Argentina, more and more effort is being made to sensitize teenagers to the subject of personal privacy, and strengthen their digital competence.

Vanina Berghell, Social Media Expert: “It’s not as though teenager don’t know how to safeguard their personal sphere on social networking sites; but they often just don’t do it.

That’s why it’s so important to instruct them on how to deal with the new technologies — not just at school, but also at home.”

A survey of teenagers in Argentina has shown that 16% use social networks to bully unsuspecting users.

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 Questions

1. Is the smart phone vital or trivial and minor for many people?

2. More and more people use social media. Is this correct or wrong?

3. How do Maya and Candela use their smart phones? What do they do on Facebook?

4. Do some teenagers spend most of their free time online?

5. Is there a difference between teenagers and adults about posting or uploading photos and personal data?

6. Are there any negative aspects of social media? What are some negative aspects?

7. What should or must parents and teachers do?
 
 
A. Do you or your friends use social media? Do you like to surf the internet?

B. Some of my friends, neighbors or colleagues are “hooked on” or “addicted to” the internet. Yes or no?

C. Are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter good, bad, both good and bad, or in the middle?

D. Are Facebook and other social media networks and websites disappointed or happy that many people have become addicted to their platforms? Do they want more, less or the same amount of people to become addicted to the internet? Why or why not?

E. Our company, school or organization has a social media page or account. Yes or no? How could your company or organization utilize social media?

F. What will happen in the future regarding social media?