Susie Alegre, a human rights lawyer and author, uses the Freedom app to block social media sites when she needs to focus on her work. She believes that relying solely on willpower to limit smartphone use is incredibly difficult. Grace Marshall, an author and productivity coach, explains that social media and work emails create open loops in our minds, leading to distractions and a desire for instant gratification. Marshall suggests that workplaces establish guidelines for expected response times to messages or emails to protect employees' work-life balance and mental health.

The founder of the Freedom app, Fred Stutzman, developed the app after realizing he was spending too much time on Facebook instead of working on his dissertation. He believes that social media platforms are designed to be addictive and stimulating, making it challenging for individuals to resist constant checking. Stutzman sees his app as a way to push back against technology and regain control over our digital habits. The Freedom app has seen a significant increase in users during the pandemic, with Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter being the most blocked sites.

For those who prefer not to rely on apps, productivity and mindset coach Mark Channon recommends making small changes in daily routines to manage distractions. He suggests asking oneself what the most important task of the day is and focusing on that. Vladimir Druts, co-founder of FocusMe, emphasizes the need to take social media addiction seriously and views monk mode as a movement against the desire for instant gratification. He believes that with the rise of artificial intelligence, distractions from technology will only increase, making monk mode even more important in the future.

In conclusion, the practice of monk mode, which involves limiting social media use and other distractions, is gaining popularity as people recognize the addictive nature of technology. Apps like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest are helping individuals block social media sites and regain focus on important tasks. The founder of the Freedom app believes that social media platforms are designed to be addictive, making it difficult for individuals to resist constant checking. To protect work-life balance and mental health, productivity coach Grace Marshall suggests establishing guidelines for expected response times to messages or emails. As distractions from technology continue to increase, monk mode is expected to gain even more traction in the future.

Original news source: The people going 'monk mode' to limit social media use (BBC)

– News Summary
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– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to come up with three discussion questions related to the article. These questions can be open-ended or opinion-based. Once the groups have their questions, have them take turns asking each other the questions and recording their answers. After everyone has had a chance to answer the questions, have a class discussion where groups share their answers and discuss any differences or similarities in opinions.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to make a list of the pros and cons of using apps like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest to limit social media use. After a set amount of time, have each group share their lists with the class. Facilitate a discussion where groups can compare their lists and debate the advantages and disadvantages of using these apps.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to discuss and make predictions about the future of social media use and the practice of monk mode. They should consider the impact of technology advancements, societal trends, and personal habits. After a set amount of time, have each group share their predictions with the class and discuss any similarities or differences in their ideas.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to create a catchy headline that summarizes the main idea of the article. Encourage them to be creative and concise. After a set amount of time, have each group share their headline with the class. Discuss the different approaches and discuss why certain headlines may be more effective than others.

An increasing ? of people are ? a practice called "monk mode" to limit their use of social media. This approach involves dedicating oneself to a single task without any distractions from technology. To help with this, individuals are using apps like ?, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest, which allow them to block specific social media sites or turn off internet access entirely. These apps have gained popularity as people recognize the addictive nature of social media and the need to resist constantly checking notifications and scrolling through feeds. Susie Alegre, a human rights lawyer and author, uses the Freedom app to block social media sites when she needs to focus on her work. She believes that relying solely on ? to limit smartphone use is incredibly difficult. ? Marshall, an author and productivity coach, explains that social media and work emails create open loops in our minds, leading to distractions and a desire for instant gratification. Marshall ? that workplaces establish guidelines for ? response times to messages or emails to protect employees' work-life balance and mental health. The founder of the Freedom app, Fred Stutzman, developed the app after ? he was spending too much time on Facebook instead of working on his dissertation. He believes that social media platforms are designed to be addictive and stimulating, making it challenging for individuals to resist constant checking. Stutzman sees his app as a way to push back against technology and regain control over our digital habits. The Freedom app has seen a significant increase in ? during the pandemic, with Instagram, ?, and Twitter being the most blocked sites. For those who prefer not to rely on apps, productivity and mindset coach Mark Channon recommends making small changes in daily routines to manage distractions. He suggests asking oneself what the most important task of the day is and focusing on that. Vladimir Druts, co-founder of FocusMe, emphasizes the need to take ? media addiction seriously and views monk mode as a movement against the desire for instant gratification. He believes that with the rise of artificial ?, distractions from technology will only increase, making monk mode even more important in the future. In conclusion, the practice of monk mode, which involves limiting social media use and other distractions, is gaining popularity as people recognize the addictive nature of technology. Apps like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest are helping individuals block social media sites and regain focus on important tasks. The founder of the Freedom app believes that social media platforms are ? to be addictive, making it difficult for individuals to resist constant checking. To ? work-life balance and mental health, productivity coach Grace Marshall suggests establishing guidelines for expected ? times to messages or emails. As distractions from technology continue to increase, monk mode is expected to gain even more traction in the ?.

1. What is "monk mode" and how does it help limit social media use?
2. How would you feel if you had to block specific social media sites or turn off internet access entirely? Why?
3. Do you think relying solely on willpower to limit smartphone use is difficult? Why or why not?
4. What are some potential benefits of establishing guidelines for expected response times to messages or emails in the workplace?
5. How do you think social media platforms are designed to be addictive and stimulating?
6. Why do you think the Freedom app has seen a significant increase in users during the pandemic?
7. Do you think making small changes in daily routines can effectively manage distractions? Why or why not?
8. How do distractions from technology affect our desire for instant gratification?
9. What are some potential drawbacks of relying on apps like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest to limit social media use?
10. Why do you think the founder of the Freedom app believes that monk mode is a way to regain control over our digital habits?
11. How do you think monk mode can protect work-life balance and mental health?
12. How do you think distractions from technology will continue to increase with the rise of artificial intelligence?
13. Do you think monk mode is a sustainable practice in the long term? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the popularity of monk mode reflects society's awareness of the addictive nature of technology?
15. What are some other strategies you can think of to limit social media use and manage distractions?

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