Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. narcissism
(n.) [nahr-suh-siz-em] – an abnormal interest in or admiration for oneself (especially
one's physical appearance)
Example: Her narcissism led her to undergo plastic surgery several times.
2. empathy
(n.) [em-puh-thee] – the ability to identify one’s self with others by being able to
understand their situations, feelings, thoughts and attitudes
Example: The employees admire their boss
because he shows empathy to them by
constantly considering their opinions.
3. aggression
(n.) [uh-gresh-uhn] – the act or state of being violent or offensive to others
Example: Female animals naturally show aggression to protect her young.
4. spill
over (v. phrase) [spil oh-ver] – to overflow or be forced out into another area
Example: Details from celebrities’ private
lives often spill over into public
knowledge.
5. arise
(v.) [uh-rahyz] – to appear, emerge, or be a result of something
Example: After natural disasters, many
problems arise.
Article
Read the text below.
New studies reveal the positive and negative
effects of being part of today's generation, also known as the
"iGeneration", where teens and college students are constantly
connected through the Internet, SMS, and social networks like Facebook.
A study by Larry Rosen, a social media researcher
from California State University, associates social networking with mental
issues such as narcissism, lack of
empathy, increased aggression, and even depression. An
observation of 300 teenagers also reveals that constant use of Facebook can
be distracting and can cause lower grades.
Despite the negative effects of social
networking, Rosen emphasizes how it can teach adolescents to socialize. Rosen
says that digital social networks help shy kids in building relationships, an
important step in teenage development. Even with the absence of direct
communication, teenagers can learn to understand another person’s feelings
through the use of the computer or other Internet-ready devices. This social skill
may eventually spill over into the
actual world as well.
For concerned parents, Rosen encourages them to
discuss with their children the appropriate use of technology. He suggests
teaching kids to take two-minute breaks to check online notifications and
messages after every 15 minutes of studying. This allows them to focus longer
and avoid the negative effects of social networking on their studies.
Meanwhile, Rosen discourages parents from using
computer programs to monitor their child's social networking activities. He
says that it is more important to build trust so that their children would
not hesitate to talk to them should problems arise, such as getting disturbing images from others or bullying.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Why
do you think using online social networks is popular among young people?
·
What
do you think are other advantages and disadvantages of social networking
besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Discussion
B
·
What
do you think parents can do to prevent their children from becoming addicted to
technology?
·
Do
you think young people deserve some privacy from their parents when using
social media? Why?
