Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a condition
    • ex. Mark sees a doctor for his heart condition once a month.
  2. (one’s) dominant hand
    • ex. After I broke my dominant hand, I had to write with my left hand, but it was really difficult.
  3. bent
    • ex. Jen sat on my glasses, and now they’re bent.
  4. go viral
    • ex. The video of my dog dancing went viral last week, and now he’s famous all over the world!
  5. posture
    • ex. Your posture isn’t very good. Stand straight!

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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According to some social media users, a new condition called “smartphone pinky” is changing the shape of their little finger. People with the condition say that the little finger on their dominant hand looks bent. They believe that it’s caused by the way that they hold their smartphone. Many people use their pinky finger to support the bottom of their smartphone.

One TikTok user shared a video showing her “smartphone pinky.” The post went viral, and many other people claimed that they also have the condition. Another social media user explained that her little finger was bent, and she could not make it straight anymore.

According to Pareena Patel, a health professional, there is no evidence that smartphones can change the shape of your little finger. She said that “smartphone pinky” is not an official condition. However, Patel said that using a smartphone too much can cause muscle pain or damage to the bones in the thumb or wrist area. To avoid this, she suggested doing gentle hand exercises, having good posture, and using your smartphone less.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Technology and Health

  • Do you believe that smartphones are really changing the shape of people's little fingers? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how much time a day is it okay to use a smartphone or tablet (ex. 30 minutes, 5 hours)? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think that most people will follow Patel's advice about doing gentle hand exercises, having good posture, and using their smartphone less? Why or why not? Discuss.

Social Media

  • Should people always believe information that is shared on social media? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that social media influencers have a responsibility to only share true information? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is social media good or bad for society? Why? Discuss.