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Two years ago, Doctor Yannick Guillodo from Brest, France wanted to encourage people to use their smartphones less. He found a group of people who agreed to try to cut down their phone use.
Out of nearly 500 people, about 75% couldn’t reduce their phone use by even an hour a day. On the other hand, most of the people who cut down their phone time became more active.
Guillodo, who works at Brest’s University Hospital Centre, has written a book called “Le smartphone tue”, “Smartphones Kill” in English. He warns that smartphones are hard to put down and make people sit more.
He explained that when we use our smartphones, we usually sit down. So, the more we use our phones, the more we sit. And sitting too much can lead to health problems like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Professor Andrew Lepp in the United States has also studied this. He found the same results as Doctor Guillodo. He also said that people even use their phones while exercising, which makes their workouts less intense.
Lepp also talks about “active couch potatoes”. These are people who do enough physical activity, but also sit a lot. And sitting too much can be bad for your health, even if you exercise.
Professor Paul Elliott from Imperial College London is studying if smartphones can cause long-term health problems. He found a link between digital technology use and body mass index (BMI) in teenagers. This link might be because we don’t sleep well after using phones.
Vocabulary
- Encourage – suggest that someone does something; persuade; urge; push
- Agree – To have the same opinion or feeling as someone else; to say “yes” to something
- Cut down – To reduce or use less of something; Make something smaller
- Use – the action of using something;
- Nearly – almost; about; near
- Reduce – to make less; make smaller; decrease; bring down; shrink
- On the other hand – a phrase to show contrast; to express an opposite idea or opinion
- Active – able to do something physically; move around; mobile; energetic
- Warn – to tell someone about something bad or dangerous that might happen; alert; notify
- Lead to – if an action or event leads to something, it makes that thing happen or exist; begin a process that causes something to happen
- Diabetes – A health condition where your body has trouble controlling the amount of sugar in your blood
- Stroke – A serious illness that happens when blood cannot get to your brain;
- Heart disease – A group of problems that affect your heart; When your heart doesn’t work as well as it should
- Cancer – a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body
- Professor – a teacher at a university
- Find – realize; learn; discover;
- Result – outcome; findings; conclusion; answer;
- Workout – exercises and physical activities to make your body strong and healthy
- Intense – Very strong or severe; powerful
- Couch potato – Someone who sits on the couch a lot and doesn’t move much
- Physical activity – Moving your body in a way that uses energy, like running or playing sports;
- Cause – make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Long-term – Lasting for a long time;
- Link – A connection between two things
- Digital technology – Electronic devices we use, like phones, tablets, and computers
- Body mass index (BMI) – A simple measure that tells if a person has a healthy weight for their height
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think it’s hard for people to cut down their smartphone use?
- Do you use your phone too much? How do you think we can encourage people to use their smartphones less?
- How do you think digital technology use can affect sleep?
- What are some other long-term health problems you think could be caused by too much smartphone use? Anything with your eyes, posture or brain?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
Two years _____, Doctor Yannick Guillodo from Brest, France wanted to encourage _____ to use their smartphones less. He found a _____ of people who agreed to try to cut down their phone _____.
Out of nearly 500 people, about _____% couldn’t reduce their phone use by even an hour a day. _____ the other hand, most of the people who cut down _____ phone time became more active.
Guillodo, who _____ at Brest’s University Hospital Centre, has written a book _____ “Le smartphone tue”, “Smartphones Kill” in English. He _____ that smartphones are hard to put down and make people _____ more.
He explained that _____ we use our smartphones, we usually sit down. So, the _____ we use our phones, the more we sit. And _____ too much can lead to health problems like diabetes, stroke, _____ disease, and some types of _____.
Professor Andrew Lepp in the _____ States has also studied this. He found the same _____ as Doctor Guillodo. He also said that people _____ use their phones while exercising, which makes their _____ less intense.
Lepp also talks about “_____ couch potatoes”. These are people who do enough _____ activity, but also sit a lot. And sitting too much can be _____ for your health, even if you exercise.
Professor Paul Elliott from Imperial _____ London is studying if smartphones can cause long-term _____ problems. He found a link _____ digital technology use and body mass index (BMI) in teenagers. This link _____ be because we don’t sleep well after using phones.
