Lesson plan on Internet Addiction
Aim: to make ss aware of the potential dangers of spending too much time online and how they can be
protected.
Objectives:
Language> reading for gist and details / practice vocabulary / grammar practice on giving advice
Abilities> to be able to find the association between words of the same families and trace their origin
To be able to draw conclusions from data (questionnaire)
Attitudes > become aware of the problem of Internet addiction / understand its causes / realize need for
the problem to be addressed.
Level: B1+ (A grade of Senior highschool- Lykeio)
Materials: Europa Diary (UK version), pp.80-82, accessible at
http://www.europadiary.eu/docs/2011-12/edito_uk.pdf
Time: 2 teaching hours
1. Start by raising awareness on the topic:
Ask questions such as
Do you have a computer and internet connection at home?
How much time a day do you spend in front of the computer?
How many online accounts have you got and at which social networks?
2. Then write on the board the word Addiction and ask them if they know what it means. Ask them
to give examples of various kinds of addictions, the possible causes and problems that can be
caused. Make a spidergram on the board. Alternatively, if you have access on the internet you
can use the cmap tool (http://cmap.ihmc.us/) or any similar website to produce digital
spidergrams and keep them for future reference.
3. Separate the class in two groups and ask them if they know the signs of internet addiction and
ask them to guess which they may be (eg. Losing track of time online, become isolated etc.).
Each group produces a list and then they compare the two lists.
4. Give the questionnaire and ask them to fill it in individually (appendix 1) and anonymously.
Afterwards, in each group, the ss count how many positive and negative answers there
are and find the percentage of teenagers who experience these symptoms in their class.
5. Now give them the text entitled Do you spend too much time online? (appendix 2). Ask
them to work in pairs reading the text and answering the questions on the worksheet.
6. Ask the ss what advice they would give to a friend of theirs to help him/her deal with their
addiction. Revise some grammatical items and set phrases on giving advice. They can
write it on a piece of paper and the teacher collects them.
7. Finally she gives them a handout containing some pieces of advice offered by the diary
(appendix 3) to compare with the ss’ answers.
Appendix 1
A
re you worried that you are spending too much time online?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. Do you neglect your schoolwork to go online? YES⃞ NO ⃞
2. Are you staying up late at night online? YES⃞ NO ⃞
3. Do you continue to browse the internet even after you lose interest?
YES⃞ NO ⃞
4. Have you fallen out of touch with family and friends in the real world because you
prefer staying online? YES⃞ NO ⃞
5. Do you feel angry, depressed or irritable when you are not at your computer?
YES⃞ NO ⃞
6. Are you secretive about how much time you are spending online and do you lie
to people who ask about your computer use? YES⃞ NO ⃞
APPENDIX 2
Do you spend too much time online?
How often do you check your email, RSS feeds, social networking and other online
accounts? Do you find it difficult to pull yourself away from the computer or to set aside
your mobile?
Did you know?
The average young
European between the
ages of 15 and 16 is
connected two hours
per day.
The temptation is hard to resist: the internet is always available, and it offers a never
ending stream of music, video and other distractions. The average child in Europe starts
to use the internet at the age of seven. By the time they are 15-16 years old, almost
three quarters of young people go online daily, while 30% of young people between the
ages of 11 and 16 have experienced symptoms linked to excessive internet use. While
doctors and researchers are still studying this problem, they believe it is similar to other
addictions: the compulsive desire for a ‘fix’ – to post another update or to beat the next
level of a game – and for the happy feeling gained from it, which only reinforces the
behaviour.
Maintaining a healthy balance is important. People who are addicted to the internet
spend hours and hours online, neglecting their real life relationships and even basic
needs like cleanliness, food and sleep. Physical symptoms of addiction can include
withdrawal symptoms, backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, migraines and
sleep disturbance.
Online games can sometimes really absorb you, and you will want to do anything to win
or get to the next level. It’s possible to become addicted to online gaming, so try to limit
the time you spend playing… and remember it’s only a game!
1. Put each title above the corresponding paragraph.
a. When games stop being fun
b. A healthy balance
c. An early start
2. Answer the following questions according to the text:
At which age do children from all over Europe start using the
internet?
What is the percentage of young people who use the internet every
day?
Is internet addiction different to other kinds of addiction?
How can you tell whether a person has an internet addiction?
3. Discuss with you partners and provide synonyms or phrases explaining the
meaning of the words in bold letters. Then build word families for each one of
them.
4. The words symptom and syndrome are of a greek origin. Can you think of other
such words in the field of medicine? Look up in a dictionary or the internet to get
help. (eg gynaecologist, paediatrics, ophthalmology etc). Put them in different
groups according to their meanings.
To find out more:
www.saferinternet.org – www.eukidsonline.net
www.thinkuknow.co.uk – www.getsafeonline.org
www.clickcleverclicksafe.direct.gov.uk/index.html
Appendix 3
G
etting help
If you feel you may suffer from excessive internet use, you should
consider confiding in someone you trust: a real person, not someone you only
know online! This person could be a parent, teacher, doctor or perhaps an older
sibling. You can also contact the safer internet helplines.
There are things you can do to help yourself, such as moving the computer from
your bedroom to the family room; it’ll no longer be just you and the computer, and
others around you will help you monitor how much time you spend online.
Software that limits internet use is also available.
Or you could try to find another outlet for your interests. For example, if you
spend time online involved in role playing, why not read a fantasy novel or try a
theatre group?
