Susie Alegre, a human rights lawyer and writer, uses the Freedom app to block social media when she needs to concentrate on her work. She thinks it's really tough to rely on willpower alone to stop using your phone. Grace Marshall, a writer and productivity coach, says that social media and work emails can distract us and make us want instant gratification. She thinks workplaces should set rules about how quickly people need to respond to messages or emails to help protect their work-life balance and mental health.

The person who made the Freedom app, Fred Stutzman, came up with it because he realized he was spending too much time on Facebook instead of working on his dissertation. He thinks social media platforms are designed to be addictive and hard to resist. Stutzman sees his app as a way to fight back against technology and take control of our digital habits. During the pandemic, lots more people have started using the Freedom app. The most blocked sites are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you don't want to use an app, Mark Channon, a coach who helps people be more productive, suggests making small changes to your daily routine to cut down on distractions. He says you should figure out what the most important thing you need to do that day is and focus on that. Vladimir Druts, who helped create the FocusMe app, thinks it's really important to take social media addiction seriously. He sees monk mode as a way to fight against our need for instant gratification. Druts thinks that as technology gets even more distracting with things like artificial intelligence, monk mode will become even more important.

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

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article individually and then write a summary of the main points. They should focus on summarizing the key ideas and information in their own words. Afterward, they can share their summaries in pairs or small groups and discuss any differences or similarities they noticed.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Each group will brainstorm a list of questions related to the topic of social media addiction and monk mode. They can ask questions like "Do you think social media is addictive?" or "Do you think using apps like Freedom can help reduce social media use?" Afterward, each group will conduct an opinion poll by asking their questions to other groups or individuals in the class. They should record the responses and then share their findings with the class.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One team will brainstorm the pros of using monk mode or apps like Freedom to reduce social media use, while the other team will brainstorm the cons. Each team will write their ideas on a whiteboard or flip chart. Afterward, the teams will take turns presenting their lists and discussing their points. The class can then have a group discussion and share their own thoughts and opinions on the topic.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have students think individually about a time when they felt distracted by social media or technology and couldn't focus on a task. They should reflect on how it made them feel and any negative consequences it may have had. Then, they should pair up with a partner and share their experiences, listening to their partner's story as well. Afterward, the pairs can share their stories with the whole class and discuss strategies for staying focused and reducing distractions.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of social media addiction and the use of monk mode or similar apps. They should consider how technology may continue to evolve and impact our lives, as well as the potential consequences and benefits of reducing social media use. Each group will present their predictions to the class and engage in a discussion about the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.

More and more people are using some? called "monk mode" to cut down on how much they use social media. Basically, it means focusing on one thing without getting distracted by technology. There are apps like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, and Forest that can help with this. They let you block certain social media sites or even turn off the ? completely. These apps are becoming really popular because people are ? that social media can be addictive and it's hard to stop checking notifications and scrolling through ?. Susie Alegre, a human rights lawyer and writer, uses the Freedom app to block social media when she needs to concentrate on her work. She thinks it's really tough to rely on willpower alone to stop using your phone. Grace Marshall, a writer and productivity coach, says that social media and work ? can distract us and make us want instant gratification. She thinks ? should set rules about how quickly people need to respond to ? or emails to help protect their work-life ? and mental health. The person who made the Freedom app, Fred Stutzman, came up with it because he realized he was spending too much time on Facebook instead of working on his dissertation. He ? social ? platforms are designed to be ? and hard to resist. Stutzman sees his app as a way to fight back against technology and take control of our digital habits. During the pandemic, lots more people have ? using the Freedom app. The most blocked sites are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you don't want to use an app, Mark Channon, a coach who helps people be more productive, suggests making small changes to your daily routine to cut down on distractions. He says you should figure out what the most important thing you need to do that day is and ? on that. ? ?, who helped create the FocusMe app, thinks it's really important to take social media addiction seriously. He sees monk mode as a way to fight against our need for instant gratification. Druts thinks that as ? gets even more distracting with things like artificial intelligence, monk mode will become even more important.

1. What is "monk mode" and how can it help people cut down on social media use?
2. Have you ever used an app like Freedom, ColdTurkey, FocusMe, or Forest to block social media? Why or why not?
3. How do you feel when you are constantly checking notifications and scrolling through social media feeds?
4. Do you think workplaces should have rules about how quickly people need to respond to messages or emails? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think social media platforms are designed to be addictive and hard to resist?
6. Have you ever felt like you were spending too much time on social media instead of doing something important? How did you handle it?
7. What small changes can you make to your daily routine to cut down on distractions?
8. How do you think social media addiction can affect our mental health and work-life balance?
9. Do you agree with the idea of "monk mode" as a way to fight against our need for instant gratification? Why or why not?
10. What do you think about the statement that technology, including social media, is becoming more distracting with things like artificial intelligence?
11. How do you think monk mode can help us take control of our digital habits?
12. Do you think it's difficult to rely on willpower alone to stop using your phone? Why or why not?
13. How do you think monk mode can help us in a world where technology is constantly evolving and becoming more addictive?
14. Would you recommend using apps like Freedom or FocusMe to your friends? Why or why not?
15. In your opinion, what are the benefits of using monk mode to cut down on social media use?

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