Ejercicio Text A - Task 1 · Inglés PAU Murcia Extraordinaria 2023

Text A

Research shows over 90% of children already have a smartphone by the age of 11. But is this wise? Although many parents worry that smartphones are a Pandora’s box, the jury is still out as to how this really impacts the lives of children and teens.

According to a recent poll, 37% of 9 to 11-year-olds in the United States already have a smartphone. In the United Kingdom, 44% of children own a smartphone at the age of nine, and this figure goes up to 91% by age 11. And 39% of 5 to 16-year-olds surveyed said they could not live without their phone. But it was teenagers aged 15 and 16 who couldn’t handle it the most.

So what impact does this have? In an analysis of data from over 17,000 participants aged between 10 and 21, a group of researchers found that higher use of social media at ages 11 to 13 for girls, and 14 to 15 for boys, predicted lower life satisfaction a year later, and the other way around, lower social media use at this age predicted higher life satisfaction the following year. The researchers say this is related to the fact that girls tend to go through puberty earlier than boys.

On the other hand, one expert says, assuming that smartphone use is entirely bad is not supported by scientific evidence. A professor of psychology at the University of California analysed a large body of studies looking at the link between digital technology use and child and adolescent mental health and found no consistent link. “The biggest finding really was a disconnect between what people believe, including adolescents themselves, and what the evidence actually says,” she explained.

Whatever the research says, some children and teens do struggle as the result of using smartphones, and parents must pay attention to this and decide what’s right for their child’s level of maturity and needs. And, as part of that, parents must also take an honest look at their own smartphone use. Children hate hypocrisy: they hate being told off for something that their parents do too, like using the phone at mealtimes or going to bed with a phone.

1. Read the text and decide whether statements 1.1 to 1.4 are true or false. Then, find a text fragment which confirms your answer in either case. Write “TRUE” or “FALSE” plus the fragment (one or two lines maximum) on your answer sheet. [Score: 4 items x 0.5 marks = 2 marks]

E.g.: It is not yet very well known how smartphone use impacts the lives of children and teens. TRUE.

Evidence:..., the jury is still out as to how this really impacts the lives of children and teens.

1.1.

Between 9 and 11 years of age, more British than American kids have a smartphone.

1.2.

Girls who use social media very frequently experience life dissatisfaction at a younger age than boys who also make a frequent use of social media.

1.3.

There is a clear relationship between high use of digital devices and poor mental health in children and adolescents.

1.4.

To be honest, parents who use their phones at mealtimes or when they go to bed should not punish their children for doing so too.