Lesson 35: Theme: Social Media Effects (2026)
argue both sides of the social-media debate and use cleft sentences for emphasis.
Why this matters
Social media's effects on relationships, attention, and society are a 2026 staple. These questions reward balanced answers. Cleft sentences ("What worries me is…") add emphasis and grammatical range.
The Tip/Trick
Acknowledge the upside before your main point. "There's no denying it connects people, but what concerns me is…" — this concede-then-counter move sounds mature and balanced.
- Before: "Social media is bad. People addict. Waste time."
- After: "There's no denying it keeps us connected — but what really concerns me is how it shortens our attention spans."
Grammar Focus — Cleft sentences & emphasis
Rule: front an idea with What… is… or The thing that… is… to emphasise it. Reference: the "Cleft sentences & emphasis" section.
- "What worries me is the pressure to look perfect."
- "The thing that bothers people most is the constant comparison."
- "It's the algorithms that keep us hooked."
Vocabulary Cluster — Social media effects (2026)
Add to under "Social media effects (2026)".
- to stay connected — keep in touch — "It helps us stay connected."
- an echo chamber — only similar views — "It creates an echo chamber."
- the fear of missing out (FOMO) — anxiety about missing things — "It fuels FOMO."
- a shortened attention span — can't focus long — "It's shortened our attention spans."
- to spread misinformation — share false info — "It can spread misinformation fast."
- to compare yourself to others — measure against others — "People constantly compare themselves to others."
- screen addiction — compulsive use — "Screen addiction is a real issue."
- a highlight reel — only the best moments shown — "It's just everyone's highlight reel."
Drill these as flashcards — flip, then grade yourself.
Answer Outline
- Concede upside: "There's no denying ____."
- Cleft emphasis (main point): "But what concerns me is ____."
- Reason/example: "because ____."
- Balanced close: "So like most things, it comes down to ____."
Model Answers: 5.0 vs 7.0
Question: Does social media do more harm than good?
Band 5.0: "Social media is more harm. People addict and compare. But also good to talk friend. So fifty-fifty I think."
Band 7.0: "There's no denying it keeps us connected and gives everyone a voice. But what really concerns me is the effect on mental health — people constantly compare themselves to others' highlight reels, which fuels anxiety and FOMO. On top of that, it can spread misinformation alarmingly fast. So while it's not harmful in itself, I'd say it does more harm than good when it's used mindlessly. Like most things, it comes down to how we use it."
What changed:
- Concede-then-counter structure.
- Cleft: "what really concerns me is…".
- Collocations: "highlight reels", "FOMO", "spread misinformation".
- Nuanced verdict rather than "fifty-fifty".
- "people addict" → "people get addicted" / "become addicted".
- "more harm than good" — keep the fixed phrase intact.
- "talk friend" → "talk to friends".
Your Turn (Record)
Task: Answer 3 questions, conceding an upside then using a cleft for your main point: (1) How has social media changed friendships? (2) Should children's social media use be limited? (3) Is online communication as good as face-to-face? ⏱ ~4 min.
Your turn — record & get scored
Part 3- How has social media changed friendships?
- Should children's social media use be limited?
- Is online communication as good as face-to-face?
Self-Check + Spaced Review
Done when:
- I conceded a counterpoint before my main argument.
- I used ≥1 cleft sentence.
- I used ≥4 social-media collocations.
Spaced review:
- From Lesson 34: link social media to mental wellbeing.
- From Lesson 9: support each point with a reason and example.