Digital habits across generations

Digital habits across generations

Read an article about how people at different ages use computers and smartphones to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, 'I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.'

Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they're not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. 'It's my alarm clock so I have to,' she says. 'I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.'

Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. 'We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,' she says. 'It's changed my social life completely.'

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. 'I was always connected and I felt like I was always working,' he says. 'How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?' So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. 'I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.'

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

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Submitted by dan on Tue, 01/10/2019 - 02:28

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Hello. I'm 50. I have smartphone but i'm not a fan for social media. I use just internet when i must to do at work and when i need some additional information about something. I really enjoy to speak and spend time with people in real life. And i feel so good to do that.

Submitted by cittàutopica on Thu, 19/09/2019 - 18:31

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All of my relatives use their phone, but for different use; for example: my sister, especially for sending messages and photos by WhatsApp; my nephew and my nieces, for connecting on social media with their friends.

Submitted by Shahzad7412 on Wed, 04/09/2019 - 18:37

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I used lot of pc in school life for played game. Today I repentance about our past that I wast precious time.
Well i think this kind of program is so addictive and you should tell to your housband that give up this kind of app and use just for fun. Children see us and imitiate us and is so harder for us to want to far away our children from this App.

Submitted by Smartsosty on Wed, 14/08/2019 - 20:53

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My sister and I, we are the only persons who use very much the smartphone in my family, particularly me I use it most of the time for apps, and youtube videos.

Submitted by Tahliil_11 on Sun, 28/07/2019 - 09:24

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Honestly speaking, I am the only one who mostly use his phone constantly and spend it most of his time.

Submitted by aralfakih on Wed, 26/06/2019 - 12:30

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My child always spend a lot of time on watching youtube. I could not find a convenient way to keep him away or minimize the duration.

Submitted by Haya1_ on Sun, 16/06/2019 - 15:18

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My teenager brother spends all his day totally on his phone and social media .

Submitted by Aikotoko on Sat, 15/06/2019 - 03:14

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My husband and I do. About me, I stopped to use my smartphone too much when I left my country. I used to play games a lot but I realized that it was not good for my eyes and I did not feel that these games were excising. I stopped them, however, I still use it to check Facebook, Line and social media when I am free!