Is Facebook really making us lonely?

I Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

lonely – самотній

replace – замінювати

authentic – справжній

relationship – відносини

disturbing – що викликає занепокоєння

amount – кількість

common – спільний

in that regard – в цьому плані

enable – уможливлювати

incredible – неймовірний

update – оновлення

 habit – звичка

perform – виконувати

substitute – заміна

screen – екран

II Watch the video. People were asked the question: “Is Facebook really making us lonely?”

1) Which speakers believe that Facebook can make users lonely?

2) Which speakers think that Facebook can have positive influence?

Speakers:

Marcus Glover (marketing professional)

Bill Gullo (writer)

Garth Holsinger (founder, Working Man)

Randy Martin (consultant)

Tom Chernaik (chief executive, Cmp.ly)

Annie Jeng (music student)

Charlie Amber (marketing student)

Robert Davis (theatre professor)

III  Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save the planet from asteroids by typing incorrect translation of the words.

IV Watch the video again. Say if the statements below are true or false. Correct the false statements.

1. Robert Davis does not think people mix real life and virtual life on Facebook.
2. Tom Chernaik mentions that because of Facebook people get news from their friends only in the Internet and don’t meet up.
3. Marcus Glover is not sure that Facebook makes us lonely.
4. Bill Gullo is not happy with Facebook.
5. Randy Martin considers that Facebook can help people.
6. Marcus Glover believes that Facebook substitutes real life.
7. Annie Jeng admits that she spends too much time on Facebook.
8. Robert Davis claims that people play roles on Facebook, they try to create new identities and become someone else.
9. Garth Holsinger stresses that people often don’t know who they are friends with on Facebook.
10. Charlie Amber spends a lot of time on Facebook to find help from other people.
11. Randy Martin says that Facebook may help people feel less lonely.
12. Marcus Glover thinks that Facebook replaces real-life relationships.
13. Bill Gullo admits that Facebook makes people communicate less often.
14. Marcus Glover claims that it will be fun to get all Facebook friends together in one place.
15. Annie Jeng says that a lot of college students stopped using Facebook and like going out with friends.
16. Bill Gullo thinks that Facebook makes create real connections between people.

V Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the text.

Marcus Glover (marketing professional):

I 1)_____ I think Facebook makes us 2)_____. I think that Facebook in gender is a sort of disconnection and sort of replaces what it meant to have 3)_____   and authentic 4)_____.

Bill Gullo (writer) :

 Facebook is disturbing. I think it does reduce the amount of 5)_____ contact and gives the 6)_____ of connection when it’s not 7)_____ there.

Garth Holsinger (founder, Working Man) :

It will be 8)_____ to me to get all your Facebook friends 9)_____ in a room, most of whom you wouldn’t really have much to do with or 10)_____.

Randy Martin (consultant) :

 I 11)_____ really think it’s making us lonely. I think it is making us 12)_____ that we have a lot of things in common with other 13)_____. Which sometimes has the 14)_____ not to make us lonely, but 15)_____ that we’re not the only ones that are in this 16)_____ that we’re in. So I think it’s gonna be 17)_____ in that regard.

Tom Chernaik (chief executive, Cmp.ly) :

 Facebook is a bit of a lonely 18)_____. It enables incredible 19)_____ and connections but it also makes us less likely to get the personal 20)_____ from people 21)_____.

Annie Jeng (music student):

 And a lot of college 22)_____, they spend hours and hours on Facebook every single 23)_____, not going outside. They sit being sucked into a 24)_____ and looking at what other people are doing. Just like my status updates.

 Charlie Amber (marketing student) :

I spend too much time on Facebook and I don’t feel 25)_____ about it. I don’t feel like it helps. I just feel like it’s 26)_____ into something that is like a habit.

Robert Davis (theatre professor) :

 Facebook makes us perform a lot and it makes us present various 27)_____ and masks to the rest of the world. Most people I think see Facebook is 28)_____ of their 29)_____ lives. I don’t think they see it as a 30)_____.

VI Which speaker do you agree with? How would you answer the question ‘Is Facebook really making us lonely?’?