U.S.T.H.B / C.E.I.

L M1 (S1)
Computer Science Department Unit 1

Social media and online communication

Online chatting 1

. Discuss these questions
a. Are you an active social networks user?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
b. How many social media accounts do you have?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c. Which social network is your favourite?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

?d. How often do you check your social media accounts

................................................................................................................................

The value of social media (1) 2

.A  Read the text and then answer the following questions

1. How do digital natives and digital migrants see the world today?
…………………………………………………………………..
2. What does keeping up with friends require nowadays??
……………………………………………………………………..
3. Who dominates the use of social networks in the UK?
……………………………………………………………………….
4. In what social media activity do adults come before younger users?
………………………………………………………………………….
5. What do you think of the criticism levelled at those who overuse social media?
………………………………………………………………………………….

Social media are computer-mediated technologies that allow people to create, share or
exchange information, ideas and pictures, videos in virtual communities and networks. Social media
is defined as “ a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
.foundation of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content
For digital natives who never knew life before social media, the world seems like it has always been
the same but for digital migrants, the present looks nothing like the past. If you were born in the late
1990s onwards, just try to imagine what your life would be like without Facebook, Twitter or
Instagram. Does it look appealing to you? Probably not. Your social interaction depends so much on
social media and keeping up with friends requires you to be online most, if not all, of the time. This is
why your parents and friends probably keep urging you to get away from your computer or put your
.smart phone down and spend more time with them

The use of social media has boomed in recent years and statistics show that nowadays,
there are more than three billion social network users in the world. Social media is an ever-changing
and ever-evolving -web-based platform, most of its users are teenagers and young adults. This
obsession with social media is well reflected in statistics. According to Statista, a website
specializing in statistics, 51% of worldwide Facebook users who make new friends at least once a
week are between 18 and 33 years of age. However, when it comes to younger users between 13
and 17 years of age, 72% of them make at least one new friend per week. This percentage gains
more significance when we learn from Facebook that its monthly active users worldwide as of the
second quarter of 2020 reached some 2.7 billion. This number barely reached 750 million monthly
active users in the second quarter of 2015. In the same period of 2011, this number was roughly 750
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million. As you see, these numbers speak for themselves but the more information we learn about
.the use of social media, the more interesting it gets

In the UK, for instance, the use of social networks is dominated by the 90% of young people
between 16 and 24 years old who are on social media and the 75% of those between the ages of 25
and 44 who use Facebook. Add to this the fact that, in 2017, Facebook and YouTube were the top
social media sites accessed by 8–15-year-olds in Great Britain. What do young users spend their
time doing on social media? There are a number of things but the top activities are finding out what
friends are doing, sending them messages and knowing what they are watching or listening to.This
is for 16–24-year-olds, followed in second place by 25–34-years old, who come first in keeping in
.touch with relatives

In the midst of this entire buzz about social media, alarming voices warning of the dangers
of such a situation can be heard. Some people argue that young people’s overuse of social media
represents an addiction that threatens their real-life communication skills. Moreover, this addiction
can distract them from their studies and affect their concentration, especially given the many cases
of use of social media during class that have been reported. Meanwhile, overuse of social networks
by adults can harm their relationships. Other disadvantages include wasting time, identity theft,
.cyber bullying and crimes against children
Now, where do you stand in all this? Are you a social media addict? Do you think social networking
?is worth all the importance people give to it

B Find words or expressions from the text with the following meanings.
a. attractive ….………………….…
b. staying in touch with ………………………
c. trying persistently to persuade someone to do something …….......................…
d. grown or developed rapidly ………………………
e. hardly ………………...........
f. approximately ……………………
g. excited interest or talk about something …………………
..……………………… h. get someone’s attention and prevent them from concentrating on something

Listening (2) 3
 Listen to a recording about social media tips, and then complete with the
missing words.
..………………Teens today are spending (1) …………….. of time on social media. They are (2)
their friends’ status (3)……………….., posting their own, IMing, video (4)………………, sharing
photos and more. Here are five social media (5)…………….. to share with your teen before they

.post
First, use privacy settings. Most websites and (6)………………… allow you to control who sees
.your (7)………………… and locations. It’s a good idea to limit it to people you know

Next, think before you post. Even the best privacy settings aren’t (8)……………….. . Friends can

tag, copy, take a (9)…………….., forward and (10)………………..what you post. And you never

……….. know where things will (11)……………………. . Third, be respectful. Never forward (12)

.messages or embarrassing photos, and (13) ………………..other people is a definite no-no

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 ...……………Fourth, be careful about (14)………………. your location. Although it might be (15)
to use location (16)…………………….. to connect with friends or (17)………….. about where you

are, it’s not always a (18)……………………move. And finally, watch the clock. Social media can

be (19)………….. but it’s also a real time (20)…………... Hours and hours can go by, which isn’t
1 .great
compound nouns
for getting anything else done
.A compound noun consists of two or more words that express a complete thought
It consists of a headword and one or more modifiers used to refer to people or things more specifically
4 Language work: Compound
,in terms of what they are for (1), what Nouns
they are made andwork
of (2), what compound
they do (3) adjectives
(3)

.what kind they are (4), or where and when they happen or are used (5)
Note :ACompound nounsthe
Pick up from are text
written as two separate
compound nounswords
and(web site), asadjectives
compound two words joined with a
hyphen ( web-site) or as one word (website). Unfortunately, there are no rules. Some compounds
.change over time
Help box 1
Can opener - application form 1
Paper plates - glass tube 2
History teacher - airline safety inspector 3
Health food magazine - detective story 4
University library - summer holidays 5

A Compound noun patterns

Pattern Example
Noun+noun University library
Noun+ adjective homesick
Noun+verb(ing) Sunrise - hand writing
Noun + adverb Passer-by
Noun + prepositional phrase Mother-in-law
Adjective+ noun blackboard
Verb(ing) + noun Printing machine - rescue team
Adjective+ verb (ing) Dry-clean - Dry-cleaning
Preposition + verb output

B Plural forms of compound nouns

.In general we make the plural of a compound noun by adding s/es to the headword

singular plural
One assistant teacher Five assistant teachers
A mother-in-law Two mothers-in -law
An assistant secretary of state Three assistant secretaries of state
A woman-doctor *Three women-doctors
A passer-by Four passers-by

.Note : * A woman can be anything except an adjective

Compound adjectives 2

A compound adjective is a group of two or more words linked with a hyphen when they are before a
noun (acting as a single idea describing something) but not after a noun.
E.g She is a well-recognized expert in technology. (with a hyphen)
The expert is well recognized in technology. (no hyphen )
 Compare the meaning in these following sentences:
1 I saw a man-scanning machine.
2 I saw a man scanning machine.
In (1) a man-scanning is a compound adjective describing the machine.
3

In (2) a man is scanning a machine. (no compound adjective). 1 and 2 have two different meanings.
 A Compound adjectives patterns
pattern example
Noun+ noun A part-time job
Noun+ adjective A tax-free production
Noun+ present participle A money-saving plan
Noun+ past participle A computer-mediated technology
Adjective+ noun A real-life communication
Adjective+ noun+ed A left-handed person
Adjective+ present participle A good-looking teacher
Adjective + past participle A low-paid job
Adverb + present participle A fast-growing technology
Adverb + past participle A well-designed website

B Compound adjectives with numbers, colours and proper names

 When numbers are used as the first part of a compound adjective, use a hyphen to connect
them to the noun that follows them. This applies whether the number is written in words or in
.digits
.E.g. The student gave a 20-minute presentation to his classmates
.However, a hyphen is not required if the number is the second word in the compound adjective
.E.g. He is a victim of type 2 diabetes

. When using a fraction as part of a compound adjective, it should be hyphenated

.E.g. A quarter-million dollars is still a large amount of money

 In compound adjectives about age, distance and time, the plural noun becomes an
.adjective and so it is invariable
E.g. This girl is 5 years old She is a five-year- old girl
E.g. The tower is 300 feet high It’s a 300-foot-high tower
E.g. The exam lasts 2 hours It’s a two-hour exam

.  In colour combinations, modifiers are hyphenated

E.g. a blue-green solution

 Compound Adjectives made from Proper nouns don't need a hyphen though must have
.capital letters

E.g. I bought the James Jackson tickets for us.

James Jackson is a compound adjective describing the tickets (What type of tickets? James
Jackson tickets). Since the adjective is a Proper noun, we don't need a hyphen between the two
names.
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A Choose the correct compound noun for the following phrases from 1 to 8.

a room for stores a storeroom / a storesroom .1

a tape for measuring up to 300 cms a 300-cm tape measure / a 300-cm measure tape .2
size of cables cables size / cable size .3
reduction in cost reduction cost / cost reduction .4
two periods of three months two three-month periods / three two-month periods .5
plugs with 3 pins three-pin plugs / three-plug pins .6
two steel boxes for tools two steel-tool boxes / two steel toolboxes .7
the assistant manager of the office the assistant manager office .8
the assistant office manager

B Using the words in the box, form compound adjectives and then complete the
following sentences.

Driven battery oriented free powered alone activated

Space object hands stand voice saving menu

1 …………………………programming is based on objects and their effects on eachother,

rather than on a series of instructions.
2 ………………..……………… PCs take up little desktop space.
3 A ……………………………. program lets you select a command from a menu.
4 A ……………………………. computer or business can operate on its own.
5 A ……………………….…. device doesn’t require the hands for operation.
6 A ………………………….. product is activated by the user’s voice.
7 A …………………………... computer is a computer that runs on batteries.

.C Replace the underlined parts of the following sentences with compound words
Users typically access social media services via technologies (1) that are relating to the
web on desktop computers or laptops, or download services that offer social media
functionality to their devices (2) that are made for portability. When engaging with these
services, users can create platforms (3) that allow Interaction to a great degree through
which individuals, communities and organizations can share, co-create, discuss and
.modify content (4) which is created by users or (5) created in advance and posted online

(4)
ARE WE LOOSING THE ART OF CONVERSATION? 5

.A Circle the correct definition of each word in CAPITALS

.Parents message at the dinner table or use social media during the SCHOOL RUN .1
a. driving children to school b. children running in a race at school
c. children taking part in a school competition

.so we JUGGLE the real and online world … .2

a. ignore b. improve c. do several things at once
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.We send tiny SNIPPETS of conversation or emoticons to each other when texting .3
a. big pieces b. small pieces c. insults, rude words

.This superficial conversation is replacing IN-DEPTH face-to-face interaction .4

a. never-ending b. superficial c. deep and detailed

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 .B  Read the following passages and then do the tasks
We asked four people who watched an online talk on technology and communication by
.Sherry Turkle for their opinion

A The talk certainly gave plenty of food for thought about the way we communicate these
days and how technology is changing our behaviour. People are constantly multitasking
whether it be emailing during meetings or texting in the checkout queue. I really believe it’s
affecting the way we relate to each other and it’s not just in the workplace. Kids fade into the
background as parents message at the dinner table or post on social networking during the
school run. It’s as if we can’t bear to miss out on what our online buddies are up to, so we
juggle the real and the online world. My greatest concern is that we don’t give our brain a
chance to switch off. It’s these precious moments when we actually process information that
.helps us make important decisions

.It was a fascinating talk and the speaker hit the nail on the head with a couple of things
B
Take parental influence, for instance. How can we expect teenagers not to text while doing
their homework when they witness their parents posting on social media while cooking the
evening meal or waiting at the red light? She also made a valid point about people wanting to
be in two or several places at once. So they switch back and forth between their real-life and
online conversations. I see it all the time with my teenage daughter and her friend. They
arrange to meet and then sit together in silence while each one engages in a different
.conversation online

C So much of what the speaker said rang true. I honestly believe there’s a danger that the
more connected we are, the more isolated we feel. I don’t think this is such an issue for my
generation who’ve lived without technology for so long. We know how to be alone and, more
importantly that it’s ok to be alone. But the under 20s are another kettle fish. They are so busy
communicating that they never experience the feeling of solitude and run the risk of not
learning how to enjoy their own company. In addition, they’re learning conversation through
messages that can be edited and changed at the expense of learning the art of conversation
.in real time with the person in front of you

I’m not sure to what extent I agree that people are more alone, but the way we D
communicate has certainly evolved. We send tiny snippets of conversation or emoticons to
.each other and I wonder how much this actually allows s to really understand one another
This superficial conversation is replacing in-depth face-to-face interaction with its pauses,
intonation and sentiment. The speaker makes a good point about how we’re getting used to
conversing with machines like Siri or robots, which are totally devoid of any experience of
human life. But despite such limitations, we seem to be expecting more from technology and
.less from each other

:Task 1. Check your understanding

… Which person, A, B, C or D

?shares A’s view that we simultaneously spend our time in different worlds .1
..…………………
?has a similar opinion to C about the importance of conversational skills without technology .2
…….………
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 ?gives an example of how people can be simultaneously together and alone .3
..………………
?agrees with B that online communication is having an impact on family relationships .4
..……………
?disagrees with C about people feeling more isolated .5
.………………

is the only person who mentions how decision-making skills are affected by technology .6
.…………

?shares D’s opinion that the nature of conversation has changed .7

..……………

?agrees with A that times without any communication are valuable .8

..……………

.Task 2. Check your vocabulary

Find in the text expressions with the following meanings

.…………………………………………………… .Say exactly how something is 1

.…………………………………………………… .Seems to be true 2

…………………………………………………… .Are less important than before 3

………………………………………… .The first thing harms the second thing 4

..…………………………………… .Completely different from something else 5

…………………………………………………… .Change between two ideas 6

..………… .Not having something that you would normally expect it to have 7

.…………………………………………………… .Made you think 8

listening: How false information spreads?(5) 8

.A  Listen to the recording and circle the best answer to these questions
?Which statement about circular reporting is true .1
.a. It is the spread of true information
.b. It is when false information is validated by one other source only
.c. It only occurs with information on Wikipedia
.d. It may involve several publications

?Which statement is true about journalists .2

.a. They are not permitted to copy information from Wikipedia
.b. They refuse to copy information from Wikipedia
.c. As soon as they include information in an article, they verify the information
.d. Many journalists may publish inaccuracies in several articles

?Which statement is correct .3

.a. Another name for a coati is a Brazilian aardvark
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 b. The American student changed the information on Wikipedia to what he believed to be the
.truth
.c. Many people believed that a Brazilian aardvark was the same as a coati
.d. When writers wrote about the Brazilian aardvark they knew it was a joke

?Which statement is true about Wikipedia .4

.a. Some people add false content to a Wikipedia entry intentionally
.b. Updating information on Wikipedia is against the law
.c. There is hardly any true information on Wikipedia
.d. Many true facts on Wikipedia initially appear as false information

?What is true about childhood vaccines and autism .5

.a. There is a clear connection between childhood vaccines and autism
.b. Circular reporting incited many parents not to vaccinate their children
.c. The claims that they were connected first appeared on Wikipedia
.d. The media proved early on that the claims about vaccines and autism were false

?Which statement is correct .6

.a. Generally speaking, it’s easy to identify false information
.b. If the original source is Wikipedia or the media, the information is almost always false
.c. Reflecting critically on what we read is something most people often do
.d. Lack of time to think and investigate can cause us to believe things that aren’t true

.B Complete the expressions with a phrase from the audio

it’s the confirmation of false ,)using as few words as possible(………………………… .1

.information

.and …………………………………..(not at all) is obvious as being false … .2

.then he forgot about it and ………………………………… (spent no time thinking about it) … .3

.That’s not to say that all information on Wikipedia is false …………………………. (not at all) .4

unsupported claims were picked up by the media and ……………………… (became … .5

.)Known by lots of people very quickly

We often …………………………. (accept things as they appear, rather than thinking carefully .6

).about them

Reading (6) 9
 Read the following passage and answer the following questions given
below. 

Paragraph 1: Think about it: 1.49 billion people on average log onto Facebook daily; every
second, on average, around 6,000 tweets are tweeted on Twitter; and since its inception,
over 40 billion photographs have been posted on Instagram. We live in a world where we
aren’t only consumers of information but creators as well, which gives us a misplaced sense
of control. It is misplaced because we live today on social media in filter bubbles and echo
chambers, and our experiences are dictated by algorithms. As we approach the end of the
second decade of this century, social media and the Internet have drifted from their promise
of closing distances and exposing us to the views of those who existed beyond our personal
networks. Instead, we find ourselves to be more rigid versions of our former selves. 
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Paragraph 2: In the 1950s, a series of psychological experiments called the Asch
Conformity Experiments was carried out by the social psychologist Solomon Asch, to
determine the extent to which a person’s opinion is influenced by a group. Asch found
through a series of trials that an individual was willing to go to the extent of giving a wrong
answer just to conform to the majority view. The respondents gave wrong answers either
because they did not want to be ridiculed or thought of as “peculiar”, or because they
believed that the group was better informed than them. Although means of communication
and engagement have evolved since the 1950s, the human instinct to fit in hasn’t changed.
To some extent this also explains the impact of fake news online, which is said to contribute
to a polarised society. Fake news is an industry today and finds great resonance with people.
Its rise corresponds with a growing distrust in the mainstream media. Fake news has now
even slipped into traditional media outlets and is often circulated by prominent individuals.
This has contributed to the echo chamber phenomenon. People seek “informed” opinions
through filters only from people they trust and look for news that confirms their world view.
This results in people cultivating rigid opinions of issues that they would have probably been
more willing to discuss in the past. Social media sites are more than willing to play
abettors. Twitter, for example, will routinely prompt you to follow people who hold a
viewpoint that is similar to yours. Social media creates and services, needs which could be
the narcissistic impulses encouraged by Instagram or the strengthening of deep-rooted
biases on Twitter and Facebook. 

Paragraph 3: A study carried out by Aalto University, Finland, this year on increasing
polarisation on social media found that factors like user homophily (users in a social system
tend to bond more with ones who are similar to them than to ones who are dissimilar) and
algorithmic filtering have created this cycle of enforcing and reinforcing belief systems and
ensuring that we don’t open our minds to diverse opinions. The study suggests that
algorithms must be created to identify trigger topics and find diverse opinions that might
otherwise be kept out. While the democratisation of discourse that social media has brought
about is undeniable and most welcome, we are getting trapped in narrower world views that
are seeping into not only voter behaviour but everyday personal interactions. This is
something we must be alarmed about. Log in or log out, the world is a far more opinionated
place today but it need not be a rigid one. 

Q1. According to the author how social media and the Internet were supposed to help
people?

a It was expected that internet and social media will increase the proximity among peoples
b Internet and social media were supposed to make people more rigid versions of their
former selves
c They were supposed to expose us to the views of those who existed beyond our personal
networks
d Both (a) and (c)
e None of these

Q2. Based on the information given in the passage consider a situation where four
people are made to sit in a room, they are asked to answer the same question,
assuming that three out of four gave the same answer what could be the reason
behind the odds that the fourth one will also give the same answer?

a Because the fourth one did not want to be ridiculed

b As the fourth one didn’t want anyone to consider his answer as funny or strange
c Because he had a thought in his mind that the other three people are much knowledgeable
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 than him
d All (a) (b) and (c)
e None of these

Q3. Why in a today’s world of social media we, the consumers and creators of
information possess a misplaced sense of control?

a The feeling of autonomy, choosing how one spends one’s time, doing one’s work in his/her
own way nowadays is being influenced by the information that is being shared over social
media
b As people’s most of the life is being spent over social media and they don’t get any time to
develop their skills and to learn new things.
c It is misplaced because we live today on social media world where peoples opinion are
driven by others experiences and their knowledge.
d Both (a) and (c)
e None of these

Q4. Out of the followings which option best explains the meaning of the line given in
bold as used in the second passage, “Social media sites are more than willing to play
abettors.”?

a There has been serious instances of data breaches in various social media sites like
Facebook, and twitter etc.
b Twitter, for example, will routinely prompt you to follow people who hold a viewpoint that is
similar to yours.
c Social media sites are abetting people in regard to a particular political campaign
d Both (a) and (c)
e None of these

Q5. How has the Fake news industry contributed to the echo chamber phenomenon?
a Fake news has now even slipped into traditional media outlets and is often circulated by
prominent individuals.
b This results in people cultivating rigid opinions of issues that they would have probably
been more willing to discuss in the present
c People seek “informed” opinions through filters only from people they don’t trust and look
for news that confirms their world view.
d Both (a) and (c)
e None of these

Q6. How the factors like user homophily, increasing polarisation on social media
restricts our minds for diverse opinions?
a An individual was willing to go to the extent of giving a wrong answer just to conform to the
majority view.
b By changing the means of communication and engagement since the 1950s, the human
instinct to fit in hasn’t changed.
c Users in a social system tend to gel up more with ones who are similar to them than to
ones who are dissimilar and thus following the same path of thinking
d Both (a) and (c)
e None of these

Q7. Choose the word which is most SIMILAR in meaning with the highlighted word
SEEPING as given in the passage?

a Trickle b Construe c Twig d Encrypt e Postscript

Writing 10
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What changes in the way we communicate with technology do you think are most
?important? Why? Do you prefer to communicate face-to-face or online? Why

:Refrences
Adapted from OSE_Lesson-share_March 2016.pdf 1
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org 2
Teacher’s work 3
Adapted from Learn English Teens – British Council 4
Learn English Teens –British Council 5
http://www.bankersadda.com/ Reading comprehension for IBPS Clerk Mains: 7 th 6
January 2019