003 CrushIELTS how young is too young to use social media

03. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media?
If so, what apps do you use? How old were you when you
started using them? Why did you choose to join? Were your
parents involved in your decision?
If not, why have you chosen not to use social media?

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In “New Facebook App for Children Ignites1 Debate Among
Families,” Mike Isaac and Natasha Singer write:
Few big technology companies have dared to create online

Technology
Social Media

products for boys and girls ages 13 and under.
But on Monday, Facebook introduced an app, called
Messenger Kids, that is targeted at that age group and asks parents
to give their approval2 so children can message, add filters and
doodle on photos they send to one another. It is a bet that the app
can introduce a new generation of users to the Silicon Valley
giant’s ever-expanding social media universe.
In doing so, Facebook immediately reignited a furious debate
about how young is too young for children to use mobile apps and
how parents should deal with the steady creep of technology into
family life, especially as some fight to reduce the amount of time
their sons and daughters spend in front of screens. On one side are

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parents like Matt Quirion of Washington, who said Facebook’s
snaking its way into his children’s lives at an early age would most

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Overall] - your source of
help and inspiration to
“I’m an avid3 social media user, but I don’t feel my kids need achieve your best in
your IELTS test.
more social interaction4,” said Mr. Quirion, 39, whose three
likely do more harm than good.

children are between ages 3 and 9. “They need their personal time
to process all the social interaction and learn to grow into mature5
people.”

Word collected by Bảo
Ngọc


Just as vocal are parents like Parker Thompson of Alameda,

Layout by Tigerho

Calif., who said children’s adoption of technology is an
inevitability6 and who appreciated Facebook’s approach with the
new app.

Source: The New
Work Times

“Today, much of the time our options come down to giving
kids devices7 and trusting things will work out, watching them
closely at all times, or banning technology,” said Mr. Thompson,
38, a father of three children between 6 months to 8 years old.
“Tech is going to be something kids adopt8. The question is how
this will happen.”
Questions:
1. In your opinion, how young is too young
to use social media?
2. What are some of the drawbacks and

Comments:
I honestly feel like ages 12 and down
should not use social media. Probably from
age 13 too because kids shouldn't be on

benefits of introducing technology at an

social media at this age. They don't know

early age? Does it interfere9 with family

the responsibility and consequences of

life and children’s personal time to

having social media. In my perspective I

process social interactions and get to

don't think they know the dangers of putting

know themselves? Or does it help young

themselves out there in the world of social

children connect with others and learn to

media.

use social media safely in a controlled
environment?
3. Over all, do you think apps like

The dangers of having themselves
exposed there is that there may be stalkers
or people that take their mage and put it on

Facebook’s Messenger Kids will do more

an inappropriate website. Not only that it

harm or good?

won't show kids that they need to interact

4. — Should parents be worried about their

with people instead of just talking to

children’s privacy10 and the way Facebook

someone through a screen. They need time

may collect and use data from the app? Do

to live their childhood before they lock

you think Facebook is acting in the best

themselves in a world where they isolate

interests of children? Or itself?

themselves from other people and stay
staring at a screen.


Useful Vocabulary:
1) Ignite (v) /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ :
To cause a dangerous,
excited or angry situation
to begin ( khơi dậy, khơi
mào)

4) Approval (n)

7) Device (n) /di'vais/: an

/ə'pru:vəl/: the act or state

object or machine that has

of agreeing to or being

been invented for a particular

pleased with a person or

purpose (thiết bị)

thing (sự tán thành, chấp
thuận)

2) Avid (adj) /ˈæv.ɪd/ :
Extremely eager or
interested (cực kỳ hang

something new (chấp

/intər'æk∫n/: an occasion

nhận/bắt đầu sử dụng)

or things communicate

3) Inevitability (n)

with or react to each other

/in,evitə'biliti/: the fact of

(tương tác)

being certain to happen
and unable to be avoided
or prevented (điều không
thể tránh được/chắc chắn

accept or to start using

5) Interaction (n)

when two or more people

hái/hứng thú)

8) Adopt (v) /ə'dɔpt/: to

6) Mature (adj)
/məˈtʃʊər/: like an adult
(trưởng thành)

xảy ra)

9) Interfere (v) /intə'fiə/: to

involve in a situation without
being needed (can thiệp/gây
trở ngại)
10) Privacy (n) /‘privəsi/:
someone's right to keep their
personal matters and
relationships secret (quyền
riêng tư)

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