Reading: Teen digital media addiction

Teen digital media addiction surpasses alcohol, cannabis risks

Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:

[1] New research from Germany has revealed that Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and computer games are a more immediate threat to teenagers than alcohol and cannabis, highlighting the prevalence of dangerous and addictive digital media habits among the youth.

[2] “We are facing a tsunami of addiction disorders among young people, which I believe we are completely underestimating,” said Rainer Thomasius, medical director of the German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence (DZSKJ) at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), which carried out the study with health insurer DAK.

[3] The study revealed that more than 25 per cent of 10 to 17-year-olds exhibit risky or pathological use of social media, with 4.7 per cent classified by experts as addicted. According to Thomasius, the rates of problematic media use are significantly higher – between five to 50 times more – than the rates of risky cannabis use or alcohol consumption in the same age group.

[4] Although media use, unlike alcohol or cannabis, only has an indirect effect on a person’s central nervous system, the effects on the reward system in the brain are the same. “More and more of the same is sought, and a loss of control occurs,” Thomasius said. “The enormous amount of time consumed by media use then leads to other areas of life being neglected.”

[5] Losing control over one’s media behaviour can have serious consequences for young people. In many cases, it can lead to a drop in their school performance, often to the point of failing. On top of this comes social isolation, the loss of leisure interests and family conflicts. Boys are particularly affected, with 6 per cent of them meeting the criteria for pathological media use. At the same time, the figure for girls is around half as high, at 3.2 per cent, according to the study. Thomasius said that girls often have more pronounced social skills during puberty. They are socialised differently according to their gender roles and isolate themselves less often than boys.

[6] TikTok is introducing a new mindfulness tool to help teen users wind down before bed and move away from their feed. The Wind Down tool will automatically turn on if a TikTok user under 16 is on the app after 10pm, interrupting the For You feed with a full-screen takeover while playing calming music. The company said it will also begin testing additional meditation exercises as part of the feature. The update also features new parental control tools, including Time Away, which enables parents to block teenagers from TikTok during specific times, such as during family meals, at school, at night or during a holiday.

[7] The update, part of TikTok’s Family Pairing tools – which enable parents to link their own account with those of their children and monitor their usage – gives parents more visibility into their child’s TikTok network, allowing them to see who follows their child and who their child has blocked. Val Richey, TikTok’s global head of outreach and partnerships for trust and safety, said the company aims to strike the right balance between allowing teens their independence and enabling parents to monitor them, “providing an environment where important conversations can happen”.

Source: dpa, March 18

Questions

1. What aspect of digital media use does the research focus on, according to paragraph 1?

2. In paragraph 2, Thomasius is concerned about …
A. a lack of awareness regarding the true scope of digital media addiction among teens.
B. the misdiagnosis of teen digital addiction for other mental health disorders.
C. the negative impact of digital media on teens’ academic performance.
D. none of the above

3. Who does the phrase “same age group” in paragraph 3 refer to?

4. Based on paragraph 4, how are the effects of media use and cannabis similar?

5. Find a phrase in paragraph 4 that refers to a “diminished or complete inability to regulate one’s behaviour or impulses”.

6. Paragraph 5 suggests that social skills may have a/an … during puberty in against media addiction.
A. negligible influence
B. amplifying impact
C. protective role
D. detrimental effect

7. According to paragraph 5, what is the relationship between excessive social media usage and academic performance in young people?

8. Based on your understanding of paragraph 6, what is the purpose of the “Wind Down” tool and “Time Away” parental control features?

9. What is the writer’s tone towards TikTok’s initiatives mentioned in paragraphs 6 and 7?
A. dismissive
B. patronising
C. accusatory
D. neutral

TikTok has introduced new parental controls for kids and teens. Photo: Shutterstock

Answers

1. the development of dangerous and addictive digital media habits (accept all similar answers).
2. A
3. young people between 10 and 17 years old
4. Both affect the reward system in the brain in the same way and can lead to addiction.
5. loss of control
6. C
7. It can lead to a drop in their school performance, often to the point of failing.
8. to promote healthier digital habits and strike the right balance between allowing teens their independence and enabling parents to monitor them (accept all reasonable answers)
9. D

Review vocabulary here

Kien Pham (IELTS 8.0/ Thạc sĩ TESOL)