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Hello, this is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English.
I'm Neil.
And I'm Beth.
In this programme, we're discussing
the positives and negatives
of social media
in the lives of young people.
And this is a really trending topic
at the moment
because of what's happening
in Australia,
where a new law to limit under
16-year-olds' access to social media
is being debated.
Neil, tell me one good thing
and one bad thing about having
social media in your life.
Well, one good thing is
it means I can see
what friends are doing
who live far away.
And one bad thing is it's really
addictive and a massive waste of time.
Well, it's interesting to hear
a man's perspective, Neil,
because when it comes
to issues like cyber-bullying,
it's often young women
who are most affected,
so soon we'll be hearing
from women in different countries
about their online experiences.
And remember, you can find
all the vocabulary and a worksheet
on our website:
bbclearningenglish.com
But first I have a question
for you, Beth.
In 2024, which was the most regularly
used social media platform in the world?
Was it a) Facebook?
b) Instagram? or c) TikTok?
Oh, I'm going to say TikTok.
Well, we'll find out the answer
at the end of the programme.
Now, let's start with
the positive side of social media.
As a politics student
at Oklahoma University,
21-year-old Haleigh Hurst campaigned
in the 2024 US presidential election.
Here, she explains one benefit
of social media
to BBC World Service programme
Pick of the World:
I do think social media has played
a huge role in educating young voters
on different policies
and different people who are running.
I know Trump has recently said that he
has a soft spot in his heart for TikTok.
With the growth of social media,
it has sparked a lot more debates,
I think my generation too, has seen
so many climactic things happen.
Haleigh thinks one good thing about
social media is that it sparks debates
and conversations -
it causes debates to start.
She comments that
Donald Trump is a fan of social media
by saying he has a soft spot
for TikTok.
If you have a soft spot for something
or someone you feel affectionate
and fond of it - you like it a lot.
But of course,
that's not the whole story.
Increasingly,
young women are reporting
the negative impact
social media is making on their lives
and the pressure they feel to appear
perfect online, especially from men.
Maanvi Sharma, aged 28,
is a businesswoman and model
with a large Instagram
following who lives in Delhi, India.
And Kemi Adeyemi is a 26-year-old
travel blogger from Lagos in Nigeria.
Both young women discussed
these social media worries
with BBC World Service programme Pick
of the World:
The person you're dating,
they might leave you just because of
the social media.
They might think that you're not good
for, you know, marriage like, you're not,
you can't be a good partner
because you're on social media,
because you're being watched by
a lot of people
and they feel
a little intimidated by this.
"You know what?
We saw your girlfriend,
Oh my gosh! She was wearing this.
Oh my God!"
But it's affecting my personal life.
Some men or some people,
they want you to shrink yourself
so that they can,
like, be the bigger person.
They get to listen
to what their friends say about you,
or what your family says about you,
and they are not able to,
like, stand up for you to say,
"Oh, I know this person.
I believe she's not like doing
these things for other reasons."
Maanvi thinks some men are intimidated
by her popularity on Instagram.
Intimidated means to feel frightened
or nervous because you lack confidence.
She feels people gossip
about her posts and photos,
using expressions like 'Oh my gosh!'
And 'Oh my God!'
to express their shock or surprise.
And Kemi agrees.
She says that on social media, some
people want her to shrink herself,
a phrase meaning
that you underuse your full potential
in order to avoid making
people feel uncomfortable,
or to fit in.
When she's bullied online,
Kemi says that
these people don't stand up for her.
To stand up for someone
means to defend or support someone
who's being criticised or bullied.
And I think it's time you reveal
the answer to your question, Neil.
I asked which was the most regularly
used social media platform in the world
in 2024 - Facebook,
Instagram or TikTok?
What did you say, Beth?
TikTok.
I'm afraid you're wrong.
It's Facebook with
over three billion regular users.
Okay, let's recap the vocabulary
we've learned in this programme.
Starting with the verb spark, meaning
to cause something, such as a debate
or argument, to start happening.
If you have a soft spot for someone,
you feel affection for them;
you like them very much.
To be intimidated means
to feel frightened or nervous
because you lack confidence
in a situation.
The expressions 'Oh my gosh!'
and 'Oh my God!' are exclamations
of strong feelings like shock,
surprise, anger or disbelief.
If you shrink yourself,
you make yourself smaller
and don't use your full potential in
order to make others feel comfortable
or to fit in with them.
And finally, to stand up
for someone means to be vocal
in defending a person
who is being bullied.
Once again, our time is up.
But if you're ready for more, head over
to the BBC Learning English website
to try the worksheet
with a quiz for this programme.
See you there soon.
Goodbye.
Vocabulary
Word 1 of 15trending
word
0:21
"very popular or widely discussed right now"
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About this lesson
Discuss the impact of social media on young women's mental health and self-image in this 6 Minute English episode.