Social Media Worksheet

Ex. 1. What do you use the Internet for?

Ex. 2. Give some examples for each type of website and tell what you might use them for.

Search engine:

Travel site:

Rating site:

News site:

Photo sharing website:

Social networking site:

Ex. 3. Let's discuss

1. Which social network is your favourite and why?
2. What do you like most about social media?
3. What new features would you like to see on social media?
4. Do you share many things to your social networks? If so, what do you like to share? What do you like to see your friends share? What don't you like to see them share?
5. How does it make you feel when people like your posts? Do you think people share things just for the likes? If so, why would they do this?
6. What do you think of people who post lots of selfies?
7. Have you kept in contact with people that you wouldn't have if there were no social media? How would you keep in touch with your friends without social media?

Ex. 4. Social Media Vocabulary

Ex. 5. Social Media Using the vocabulary words above, complete the following sentences (remember to use the correct form of the word, e.g. verb conjugation or plural noun)

Ex. 6. Social Media vocabulary comprehension questions

1. Have you seen any posts that went viral on social media?
2. What topics are trending right now?
3. What type of posts do you usually like?
4. Have you ever trolled anyone? Has anyone ever trolled you?
5. What are some of your favourite memes?
6. Do you watch any YouTubers?

Ex. 7. Read two opinions about Instagram. Discuss which one you agree with and why.

• It’s hard to feel good about yourself when everyone looks perfect on Instagram.

• I get inspired when I scroll through my Instagram feed and see pictures of beautiful people. I want to look like them too!

posts and photos that people share

move the feed up or down

feed:

scroll through the feed:

Ex. 8. What can we use after look and look like?

Ex. 9. Complete some other opinions using the correct form of look and look like.

Ex. 10. Complete the phrases below using the verbs in the box. Some verbs can be used more than once.

a) ................ annoyed
b) ................ with friends
c) ................a healthy smoothie
d) ................ a desk

e) ................ a helmet
f) ................ different photo filters
g) ................ make-up
h) ................ hair and teeth

Ex. 11. Watch a video and put the actions in the order you see them in the video.

a) feel annoyed
b) hang out with friends
c) throw away a healthy smoothie
d) organize a desk

e) put on a helmet
f) use different photo filters
g) take off make-up
h) brush hair and teeth

Ex. 12. Watch the video (to 00:20) again and choose the best way to complete the sentence.

In her selfie, the girl looks like she woke up a minute ago, but in fact she...

went back to bed after breakfast

has just taken off her make-up

has brushed her hair and teeth and put on some make- up

Ex. 13. Discuss the questions.

• What do you think the message of this video is? Do you agree with it?
• What negative results can the actions of the people in the video have?
• Do any of these stories make you feel annoyed? If yes, which ones and why?

Ex. 14. Look at these Instagram posts and imagine that the people in the photos are also in the video. Say what they might in fact do or feel before sharing their posts.

Ex. 15. Read the statements about truth and lies on social media, choose one you agree with the most and explain your choice.

• Social media show our real lives, so people who lie in real life also lie on Instagram.
• It is boring to scroll through your Instagram feed and see people only showing their real lives and not using filters.
• There are enough great people on social media who show their lives the way they are, you just need to be careful about choosing who to follow.
• The only way to be honest about your life is to quit social media and share everything with people you trust.

EX. 16. READING

Julia is an influencer. This is a person who has an Instagram account and promotes goods and services via her Instagram pages.

She has over 500,000 followers on her account.

“I am not a big deal on Instagram either,” she says. “There are other girls — and guys — that have far more followers than I do.”

So what is a typical day like in the life of an Instagram influencer?

“Well, I have to get up very early, around six am most mornings,” says Julia. “I check all my incoming messages and emails. I reply to messages and maybe add a new message. Then I have to deal with any inquiries I might have from clients.”

Clients for Julia include hotels, nice restaurants and some clothing labels. She also does work for some cosmetics companies too.

“Dealing with clients can be a bit stressful, but as soon as that is done I have to think about what I am going to shoot that day.”

As an influencer with a lot of followers, Julia has to have fresh new pictures on her Instagram account at least five times a week.

“It is exhausting,” she says. “And it costs a lot of money because I sometimes hire a professional photographer and stylist.”

But there is a dark side to being an Instagram influencer.

“I have recently been diagnosed with having depression,” says Julia. “I sometimes find it really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just don’t want to face the world and I certainly don’t want to put on a smiling face for Instagram.”

How did this come about? Surely the life of an Instagram girl must be very glamorous and exciting.

“It was at the beginning,” says Julia. “But then it became just work. I also received some negative comments on some pictures and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I now look at some of my pictures and I can see flaws in my appearance and how I look. I think about my body all the time.”

So why not stop?

“I can’t,” she says. “This is my business. If I stopped I would have to get a regular job and I would not earn anywhere near as much money as I make now.”

Julia also mentions other Instagram girls that have depression or even anxiety.

“It’s very common, it would appear,” says Julia. “We have a private group and we all try to support each other. One girl was making a ton of money but was so unhappy. So she stopped. She closed her Instagram account and the money stopped almost immediately. But she says she is very happy now. I think she works in a supermarket.”

That is a very hard choice to make in your life then. Money or your happiness?

“I am hoping that things will get better,” says Julia. “I can’t do this forever so it’s not like I’ll be doing it when I am in my thirties. But sometimes things can be very difficult.”

EX. 17. Reading Comprehension Questions

- What is Julia’s job?
- What does she have to do in this job?
- How many fans does Julia have?
- Is she one of the most popular girls on Instagram?
- What time does she usually wake up?
- What is the first thing she does in the morning?
- What kind of clients does Julia have?
- How many times does she add new photographs to her Instagram page?
- Is it expensive? Why?
- What health condition does Julia have?
- How does it make her feel?
- What could be the cause of this condition?
- How does Julia view herself?
- Why doesn’t Julia leave Instagram?
- Who does she talk to about her issues?
- What did one girl do on the group?
- How does Julia see the future?
- When will she stop being an influencer?