Always Online, Always Connected?
For many teenagers, social media is where friendships begin, grow and sometimes end. A quick friend request can lead to daily conversations, shared jokes and hours of messaging. But online relationships also come with their own rules, pressures and misunderstandings.
Most people start by checking what is new. They check their feed, catch up on posts they have missed and keep up with friends, creators or celebrities they follow. Some people post a story, others go live, and many simply watch what appears on their screen.
The content people see is not always random. Users are often fed content based on what they have liked, watched or shared before. If a post suddenly becomes trending, it can go viral within hours. This can help someone gain followers, but it can also attract unwanted attention. Just as quickly, people can lose followers if others stop enjoying their content or disagree with what they post.
Online communication can affect relationships in surprisingly small ways. Someone may DM you, but you might not answer immediately. If you read the message and say nothing, you have left someone on read. If you suddenly stop replying completely, the other person may feel that you have ghosted them.
Sometimes people tag someone in a photo or post without asking first. That may seem harmless, but permission still matters. Not everyone wants their name, face or personal information shared publicly. Good online behaviour means thinking about how your actions might affect somebody else.
Problems become more serious when someone begins to bully another person online. Cyberbullying can include insulting messages, embarrassing posts or repeated attempts to humiliate someone. A bully may try to show off in front of others or gain attention by attacking someone publicly.
Social media platforms can respond in different ways. A harmful post may be taken down, and users may choose to unfollow someone or block contact. Platforms may also announce new rules or safety features and confirm that certain content has been removed.
However, not everything people claim online is true. A person might say that someone ignored them, copied them or behaved badly, but the full story may be more complicated. Online relationships can be difficult because people often react quickly, without hearing both sides.
This is why it helps to be sensible before posting, tagging or replying. Social media can create real connections, but it can also damage them. The difference often depends on one simple question: do we treat people online with the same care and respect that we would show them face to face?
Most people start by checking what is new. They check their feed, catch up on posts they have missed and keep up with friends, creators or celebrities they follow. Some people post a story, others go live, and many simply watch what appears on their screen.
The content people see is not always random. Users are often fed content based on what they have liked, watched or shared before. If a post suddenly becomes trending, it can go viral within hours. This can help someone gain followers, but it can also attract unwanted attention. Just as quickly, people can lose followers if others stop enjoying their content or disagree with what they post.
Online communication can affect relationships in surprisingly small ways. Someone may DM you, but you might not answer immediately. If you read the message and say nothing, you have left someone on read. If you suddenly stop replying completely, the other person may feel that you have ghosted them.
Sometimes people tag someone in a photo or post without asking first. That may seem harmless, but permission still matters. Not everyone wants their name, face or personal information shared publicly. Good online behaviour means thinking about how your actions might affect somebody else.
Problems become more serious when someone begins to bully another person online. Cyberbullying can include insulting messages, embarrassing posts or repeated attempts to humiliate someone. A bully may try to show off in front of others or gain attention by attacking someone publicly.
Social media platforms can respond in different ways. A harmful post may be taken down, and users may choose to unfollow someone or block contact. Platforms may also announce new rules or safety features and confirm that certain content has been removed.
However, not everything people claim online is true. A person might say that someone ignored them, copied them or behaved badly, but the full story may be more complicated. Online relationships can be difficult because people often react quickly, without hearing both sides.
This is why it helps to be sensible before posting, tagging or replying. Social media can create real connections, but it can also damage them. The difference often depends on one simple question: do we treat people online with the same care and respect that we would show them face to face?
Before You Scroll On...
You have already explored key ideas about media, communication and online information. Before moving on to new language about the individual in media, take a few minutes to revisit what you already know. Think of it as updating your media knowledge before the next post appears on your feed: The Media Understanding Its Power and Influence, Beyond the Screen: How We Connect Today, From Likes to Lies: The Impact of Media
You have already explored key ideas about media, communication and online information. Before moving on to new language about the individual in media, take a few minutes to revisit what you already know. Think of it as updating your media knowledge before the next post appears on your feed: The Media Understanding Its Power and Influence, Beyond the Screen: How We Connect Today, From Likes to Lies: The Impact of Media
Key vocabulary
announce — [əˈnaʊns] — to make something known publicly or officially; paziņot, pasludināt;
behaviour — [bɪˈheɪvjə(r)] — the way that somebody behaves, especially towards other people; uzvešanās, uzvedība; izturēšanās;
confirm — [kənˈfɜːm] — to say or show that something is true or certain; apstiprināt, apliecināt;
cyberbullying — [ˈsaɪbəˌbʊliɪŋ] — the use of the internet or social media to frighten, hurt or humiliate another person; kibermobings;
permission — [pəˈmɪʃn] — agreement that allows somebody to do something; atļauja, piekrišana;
trending — [ˈtrendɪŋ] — being discussed, searched for or shared a lot online at a particular time; aktuāls, plaši apspriests vai izplatīts;
bully (noun) — [ˈbʊli] — a person who repeatedly frightens, hurts or humiliates another person; iebiedētājs, varmāka, pāridarītājs;
bully (verb) — [ˈbʊli] — to repeatedly frighten, hurt or humiliate somebody; iebiedēt, pazemot, terorizēt.
behaviour — [bɪˈheɪvjə(r)] — the way that somebody behaves, especially towards other people; uzvešanās, uzvedība; izturēšanās;
confirm — [kənˈfɜːm] — to say or show that something is true or certain; apstiprināt, apliecināt;
cyberbullying — [ˈsaɪbəˌbʊliɪŋ] — the use of the internet or social media to frighten, hurt or humiliate another person; kibermobings;
permission — [pəˈmɪʃn] — agreement that allows somebody to do something; atļauja, piekrišana;
trending — [ˈtrendɪŋ] — being discussed, searched for or shared a lot online at a particular time; aktuāls, plaši apspriests vai izplatīts;
bully (noun) — [ˈbʊli] — a person who repeatedly frightens, hurts or humiliates another person; iebiedētājs, varmāka, pāridarītājs;
bully (verb) — [ˈbʊli] — to repeatedly frighten, hurt or humiliate somebody; iebiedēt, pazemot, terorizēt.
Phrases and expressions
catch up on something — to spend time finding out about things that you have missed; iepazīties ar jaunāko, atgūt nokavēto;
check your feed — to look through the latest posts and updates shown on your social media feed; pārskatīt savu ziņu plūsmu;
friend request — a request sent through social media asking somebody to add you as a friend or connection; draudzības uzaicinājums;
gain followers — to increase the number of people who follow your account; iegūt vairāk sekotāju;
ghost someone — to suddenly stop communicating with somebody without explaining why; pēkšņi pārtraukt saziņu ar kādu bez paskaidrojuma;
go live — to start broadcasting video or audio online in real time; uzsākt tiešraidi;
go viral — to become extremely popular online and spread very quickly; strauji izplatīties internetā, kļūt ļoti populāram internetā;
keep up with something — to stay informed about something and follow recent developments; sekot līdzi kaut kam;
leave someone on read — to read somebody’s message without replying to it; izlasīt kāda ziņu un neatbildēt;
lose followers — to have fewer people following your account than before; zaudēt sekotājus;
post a story — to publish temporary content, usually a photo or short video, on social media; publicēt stāstu sociālajos tīklos;
show off — to behave in a way intended to attract attention or admiration; izrādīties, dižoties;
tag someone — to connect somebody’s account to a post, photo or comment by adding their name or username; atzīmēt kādu ierakstā, fotoattēlā vai komentārā;
take down a post — to remove a post from a website or social media platform; noņemt, dzēst ierakstu;
DM someone (DM — direct message) — to send somebody a private direct message on social media; nosūtīt kādam privātu ziņu;
unfollow someone — to stop receiving somebody’s posts and updates by no longer following their account; pārtraukt sekot kādam.
Different Voices, Different Views
Social media has changed the way people connect, communicate and build relationships. But has it brought us closer together – or made real connection more difficult? Read what researchers and technology experts have said, then decide where you stand. A model answer is provided for each quote to show how you can develop your ideas clearly and naturally.
Social media has changed the way people connect, communicate and build relationships. But has it brought us closer together – or made real connection more difficult? Read what researchers and technology experts have said, then decide where you stand. A model answer is provided for each quote to show how you can develop your ideas clearly and naturally.
“We’re too busy communicating to connect.” — Sherry Turkle (MIT professor and researcher who studies technology and human relationships)
Model answer:
Model answer:
I think this quote describes an important problem. People can send messages all day and still not feel truly connected. Online communication is fast and convenient, but it can sometimes replace longer and more meaningful conversations. For example, reacting to a post is not the same as asking someone how they really feel. In my view, technology is useful, but communication should not become only a series of short messages.
“The net is about people connecting online … and we already see that enhances real-life relationships.” — Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist and technology entrepreneur)
Model answer:
Model answer:
I mostly agree with this idea. The internet makes it much easier to stay in contact with people who live far away or whom we do not see every day. Social media can also help friends share important moments and keep up with each other’s lives. However, I think online communication works best when it supports real relationships rather than completely replacing face-to-face contact.
“Today and tomorrow, my social reach is much wider as a result of the Internet.” — Michael Burns (technology entrepreneur and co-founder of i5 web works)
Model answer:
Model answer:
I think this is very true. Social media allows people to stay connected with far more people than they could regularly meet face to face. We can follow classmates, relatives, colleagues and people with similar interests. However, having a large social network does not necessarily mean having many close relationships. For me, the quality of relationships is more important than the number of connections.