Breaking News English Lesson: Social Media
Children under 16 in Australia cannot use social media sites. They cannot open accounts with famous sites like TikTok. Social media companies must make sure all users are 16 or above. Australia will fine them if children access the sites. The companies will check the age of their users. All new users must scan their faces.
Australia's leader said social media harms young minds. He told children to start a new sport or learn a musical instrument. He said they should spend time with family and friends. Children aged 10-15 look at harmful information on eating disorders and suicide. Some children say they will be lonely without social media.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-09/remote-kids-social-ban-isolation/106114026
- https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australia-social-media-ban-set-take-effect-sparking-global-crackdown-2025-12-09/
- https://fortune.com/2025/12/09/australia-will-start-banning-kids-from-social-media-this-week-and-malaysia-is-getting-ready-to-do-the-same/
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
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News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- Children under 16
- open accounts with famous sites
- companies must make
- Australia will fine
- if children access
- The companies will
- the age of
- scan their
- the sites
- them
- faces
- sure
- their users
- in Australia
- like TikTok
- check
- Australia's
- social media harms
- He told children to start
- learn a musical
- spend time with
- Children aged 10-15 look at
- eating
- Some children say they
- family and friends
- a new sport
- disorders
- harmful information
- leader
- will be lonely
- instrument
- young minds
Children (1) _________________________________________________ Australia cannot use social media sites. They (2) _________________________________________________ with famous sites like TikTok. Social media companies (3) _________________________________________________ all users are 16 or above. Australia (4) _________________________________________________ if children access the sites. The companies will (5) _________________________________________________ of their users. All new users must (6) _________________________________________________.
Australia's leader said social media (7) _________________________________________________. He told children (8) _________________________________________________ new sport or (9) _________________________________________________ instrument. He said they should spend time with (10) _________________________________________________. Children aged 10-15 look at harmful information (11) _________________________________________________ and suicide. Some children say they will (12) _________________________________________________ social media.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areChildrenunder16inAustraliacannotusesocialmediasites.Theycannot openaccountswithfamoussiteslikeTikTok.Socialmediacompaniesmu stmakesureallusersare16orabove.Australiawillfinethemifchildrenac cessthesites.Thecompanieswillchecktheageoftheirusers.Allnewuser smustscantheirfaces.Australia'sleadersaidsocialmediaharmsyoung minds.Hetoldchildrentostartanewsportorlearnamusicalinstrument. Hesaidtheyshouldspendtimewithfamilyandfriends.Childrenaged10- 15lookatharmfulinformationoneatingdisordersandsuicide.Somechil drensaytheywillbelonelywithoutsocialmedia.
Student surveyWrite five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion — Write your own questionsSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
(k) ________________
(l) ________________
(m) ________________
(n) ________________
(o) ________________
(p) ________________
Free writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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