My Digital Detox - Unit 3

B2 First · Multiple Choice Reading · Ready for B2 First 4th Edition, Macmillan Education Limited

You are going to read an article about a digital detox. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Some weeks ago, I downloaded a screen time tracking app onto my phone, just one of a series of measures I adopted to tackle my growing and potentially unhealthy addiction to the device. Looking back, I had been in obvious denial about how it was affecting my ability to concentrate, and the impact this was having on my work. But I could not ignore my wife’s increasingly loud tutting at my frequent scrolling, nor the fact that even my digitally native, generation-Z daughters were rolling their eyes whenever they caught me chuckling at memes or watching cat videos on YouTube. It was clearly time for a change; time for a detox. My newly installed app told me that I was picking up my phone over forty times each day and spending more than four hours online; not as much as some people, perhaps, but this was no consolation. It was still above the national average and no less cause for concern. We shouldn’t, of course, go all out to demonise phones: they have become indispensable items, and our online life is often closely intertwined with our offline one. My phone enables me to deal with work-related issues, arrange to meet up with friends, book concert tickets and holidays, and yes, even buy books to read. But as we all know, there is another, darker side to it all. Our phone addiction, we are told, is making us more anxious and depressed. Social media can cause young people, in particular, to feel less confident, as they continually compare themselves to their peers; so-and-so looks better, wears trendier clothes, has more experience holidays, leads a more interesting life. And we are constantly bombarded with information, challenging our ability to focus, causing us to dwell briefly rather than pause to reflect on what we read. Our minds have become like butterflies flitting from one subject to another, hindering our ability to apply ourselves for any length of time to one task. In planning my detox, I took what I considered to be the most useful ideas from a number of books and websites I consulted, with names like How to break up with your phone and Time to Log Off. Despite the titles, none advocated anything as final as a permanent break-up or logging off. The phone itself is not the problem, but how you use it, so the route to a healthier relationship with it is to learn to moderate and adjust. Good news, because this can be quite daunting. It’s better to ease yourself into it with a step-by-step rather than an all-at-once approach. My first step was to switch off notifications for all social media apps on my phone. The result was disappointing. Having my phone on my desk when I worked at home was still a distraction; I kept looking at it, wondering if I was missing out on anything, and sometimes, I’m afraid to say, secretly giving in to temptation. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, I thought, and promptly moved it to the kitchen. If I wanted to check for messages, I’d have to get up and go to the other end of my flat. As predicted, I soon stopped thinking about the phone and was able to give all my attention to my work. Likewise, I banned the device from my bedroom: no more late-night screen time before I turn the light out, or early-morning scrolling as soon as I wake up. I sometimes take a book to bed instead – though I often nod off after just a page or two. By the end of the first week, I began switching off my phone completely for a whole morning or afternoon, and now I occasionally leave it at home if I go out in the evening. And what are the benefits? For one thing, I can concentrate on living my own life rather than worrying about what others are doing with theirs. The less time I spend on my phone, the more time I have to myself. My imagination wanders more freely, ideas for articles come more easily and assignments are completed more quickly. Oh, and yesterday, only nine pick-ups and forty-three minutes online. Can’t be bad.

the negative effect his phone use was having on his work

the disapproving gestures of his family at his phone use

the realisation that his phone use was harming his health

the results of an app he installed to help limit his phone use

What encouraged the writer to begin a digital detox?

He is annoyed at the influence internet has on our daily lives.

He is pleased that others have worse phone habits than him.

He is convinced of the fact that the phone is a useful tool.

He is worried about how other people might judge him.

What feeling does the writer express in the second paragraph?

the speed with which we are able to process information.

the attractiveness of our ability to multitask.

the delicate and fragile nature of our brains.

the difficulty we have in concentrating.

The writer compares our minds to butterflies in order to highlight

Obtain help from a variety of sources.

Switch off the phone regularly.

Introduce changes gradually.

Stop using social media.

What advice does the writer give for reducing phone use in the fourth paragraph?

he could not see enough progress, so he considered giving up the detox.

he could check his messages because he knew nobody could see him.

he felt frustrated at not being able to see the messages on his phone.

he believed he would forget about his phone if he could not see it.

The writer uses the expression 'Out of sight, out of mind' to indicate that

He has become more creative.

He socialises more than before.

He sleeps more deeply at night.

He reads much more than he used to.

What improvement to his life does the writer mention?

My Digital Detox

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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