IELTS Speaking Practice Topic of SOCIAL MEDIA

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

“Social media are primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information”

“Social Networking is more an act of engagement”

can be both plural and singular

Question 2

Reasons we use social media

Answer 2

• Chatting with friends
• Sharing things
• Meeting people
• to get in contact with others
• Being part of a group
• Playing games
• Studying
• For entertainment
• For business - brand building
• For marketing - advertising

Question 3

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Social Media

Answer 3

To go viral = to spread quickly (videos or posts) ~ it becomes very popular
To scroll = to move up and down (on a screen)
To swipe = to move left and right (on a screen)
A vlogger = person sharing their personal life on video,
from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed
A blogger = person sharing their personal life by writing a blog
A meme = a funny way to spread ideas and behaviour
Cyberbullying = to attack and intimidate on the Internet
misuse of information technology to harass others
A troll = someone who flames and upsets other people on the internet by posting inflammatory things ~ who does cyberbullying
WHO ARE YOU!!!!???? Capital letters are considered inflaming.
An influencer = someone with a large following on the Internet who can have infuence over others
Phishing = Pretending to be someone else so you can steal their ID, credit card, personal info. (Cybercrime)
Streaming = the continuous transmission of audio or video files
Data privacy = keeping your data (personal information private)

Question 4

Social Media: Debate and Discussion

The Pros / The Advantages

Answer 4

Below we have a variety of reasons why social media could be a good thing:
Keep in touch with family
Keep in contact with…
Keep up to date with …(the news, family,..)
Making friends online, especially during lockdown
Broaden your circle of friends
To gain/acquire/get knowledge
Learn new cultures
It’s convenient to get news / get the latest news / get breaking news
You can get good recommendations for products and ideas
Develop a business
You can sell products and advertise your business on many platforms
Build a brand / infuence

Question 5

The Cons / The Disadvantages

Answer 5

Here we have some reasons why social media might be a bad thing:

• It can be addictive
• A waste of time / wasting time
• It’s time-consuming
• We can lose track of time when looking at social media
• You can waste a lot of money buying unnecessary things online
• Fake news / incorrect information
• It easily distracts us
• Intellectual property violations
  مالکیت فکری
• It can lead to physical or even mental health issues
• Many young people get a negative body image after comparing themselves to models with perfectly filtered bodies online
  تصویری ذهنی که فرد از بدن خود به‏عنوان یک کل دارد
• Too much comparison can lead to low self-esteem, especially in teenagers.
• You can get a stiff neck if you are staring at screens and scrolling all day گرفتگی گردن
• It can lead to eyesight problems

Cyberbullying is rife (=common) in many social media platforms

Question 6

Listening Task - SCRIPT

Answer 6

Social Media is not only here to stay, it is a growing phenomenon, with new platforms cropping up (= appearing) every year.

An old favourite Facebook, has just under 2.5 billion users, whilst the relatively new kid on the block, TikTok, has just 500 million.

There are an incredible 3.6 billion active social media users, that’s about half the world’s population.

How much time do we spend glued to screens? (= stuck to /watching screens a lot)

Well, 74% of Facebook users check their feed everyday, and spend an average of 35 minutes a day there.

But that’s just Facebook, in fact our addiction to social media goes much deeper. It seems we are scrolling, posting and using social media platforms for an average of 3 hours per day.

It seems crazy, but people worldwide now watch 1 billion hours of Youtube videos every single day.

Social media goes beyond entertainment, it seems to be becoming a one-stop-shop (= one place to get everything you need) for all our daily needs including, keeping in touch with friends and family, getting news, sharing ideas, even shopping.

Let’s look at the impact of social media on young people.
Many users are teens and in a recent survey in the USA, 81% of teenagers said social media was having a positive effect on their lives.
So despite the parental worries of trolling, body image and FOMO, (= fear of missing out) many teens feel more connected to friends and think social media exposes them to different viewpoints.
So that’s social media.
What about you, how do you feel about social media?

new kid on the block:ناشی تازه وارد
one stop shop: مرکز ارائه دهنده خدمات چندگانه
FOMO: ترس از عقب ماندن از سودهای بازار*

Question 7

Idioms to talk about Social Media

Answer 7

You can get hooked on social media (=addicted to)
معتاد یا وابسته به چیزی، بسیار علاقمند و مشتاق به چیزی
It rubs some people up the wrong way = it annoys or irritates
خلاف میل کسی کار کردن و موجب آزردگی یا خشم او شدن
روی اعصاب/ مخ کسی راه رفتن

I don’t like everything about it, but I put up with it = to tolerate

It’s great for spreading the word or getting the word out = giving a message/ information

Tik Tok has really taken off (become successful), it’s all the rage (=it’s very fashionable) مد شدن چیزی

When a new platform becomes popular, everyone jumps on the bandwagon = follows the fashion

I like to while away the hours (=spend time in a relaxed way) scrolling on instagram
وقت را به بطالت گذراندن