Internet and Technology (3)
mobile phones. If you are addicted to something, you have a physical or mental need to keep on
doing it. You can't stop doing it. You often hear about people being addicted to drugs or alcohol,
but you can be addicted to other things too, like mobile phones. So, Catherine, do you
think you're addicted to your phone? How long could you go without it? Catherine? Catherine!
Sorry, Rob, yes, well I think if I went more than a minute,
I'd probably get sort of sweaty palms and I think I'd start feeling a bit panicky.
Oh dear! Well, if I can distract you for a few minutes,
can we look at this topic in more detail please? Let's start with a quiz question
first though. In what year did the term ‘smartphone' first appear in print? Was it:
a) 1995
b) 2000 c) 2005
What do you think?
OK, you've got my full attention now, Rob, and I think it's 2000,
but actually can I just have a quick look on my phone to check the answer?
No, no, that would be cheating – for you – maybe not for the listeners.
Spoilsport.
Right, Jean Twenge is a psychologist who has written about the damage she feels
smartphones are doing to society. She has written that smartphones have probably led
to an increase in mental health problems for teenagers. We're going to hear from her now,
speaking to the BBC. What does she say is one of the dangers of using our phones?
I think everybody's had that experience of reading their news feed too much,
compulsively checking your phone if you're waiting for a text or getting really into
social media then kind of, looking up and realising that an hour has passed.
So what danger does she mention?
Well, she said that we can get so involved in our phones that we don't notice the time passing
and when we finally look up, we realise that maybe an hour has gone.
And I must say, I find that to be true for me, especially when I'm watching videos online. They
pull you in with more and more videos and I've spent ages just getting lost in video after video.
Well that's not a problem if you're looking at our YouTube site,
of course - there's lots to see there.
Yes, BBC Learning English, no problem. You can watch as many as you like.
Well, she talks about checking our phones compulsively. If you do something compulsively you
can't really control it - it's a feature of being addicted to something, you feel you have to do it
again and again. Some tech companies, though, are now looking at building in timers to apps which
will warn us when we have spent too long on them. Does Jean Twenge think this will be a good idea?
It might mean that people look at social media less frequently
and that they do what it really should be used for, which is to keep in touch with people but
then put it away and go see some of those people in person or give them a phone call.
So, does she think it's a good idea?
Well, she doesn't say so directly, but we can guess from her answer that she does,
because she says these timers will make people spend more time in face-to-face interaction,
which a lot of people think would be a good thing.
Yes, she said we should be using it for keeping in touch with people - which means contacting people,
communicating with them and also encouraging us to do that communication in person. If you
do something in person then you physically do it – you go somewhere yourself or see someone yourself,
you don't do it online or through your smartphone, which nicely brings us back to our quiz question.
When was the term smartphone first used in print - 1995, 2000 or 2005? What did you say, Catherine?
I think I said 2005, without looking it up on my phone, Rob!
That's good to know, but maybe looking at your phone would have helped because the answer was
1995. But well done to anybody who did know that. Or well done to anyone who looked it up on their phone and got the right answer.
Mmm, right, before logging off let's review today's vocabulary.
OK, we had FOMO, an acronym that means 'Fear of Missing Out'. Something that I get quite a lot.
And that makes you also a phubber - people who ignore the real people around them
because they are concentrating on their phones.
Yes, I do think I'm probably addicted to my phone. I have a
psychological and physical need to have it. My smartphone is my drug.
Wow, and you look at it compulsively. You can't stop looking at it,
you do it again and again, don't you?
It's sadly true, Rob. To keep in touch with someone
is to contact them and share your news regularly.
And if you do that yourself by actually meeting them,
then you are doing it in person. And that brings us to the end of today's programme.
Don't forget you can find us on the usual social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and YouTube - and on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. Bye for now.
Bye!
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
And I'm Georgina.
Now, Georgina, what do you know about AC DC?
You mean the Australian rock'n'roll band?
Well, their 1979 hit ‘Highway to Hell' stayed at No.1 for eleven weeks…
No, no, no - not that AC DC, Georgina! I'm not talking rock music here,
I'm talking electrical currents – alternating current - AC,
and direct current - DC, the two ways in which electricity flows.
Oh, I see. No, I don't know anything about that ACDC!
Well, don't worry because in today's programme we'll be
finding out some quirky facts about electricity - how it differs across
the world and why some countries have more complicated electrical systems than others.
Hmmm, I have noticed that when I travel to another country I need a
converter plug to connect my laptop. Is that something to do with AC DC?
Yes, it could be. Of course, electricity itself doesn't change from country to country.
No. It's an invisible, natural force at work in everything from lightning
storms to the electrical sparks firing our brains.
But although it happens naturally, one scientist was credited with discovering electricity.
Who? That's my quiz question – who discovered electricity? Was it:
a) Thomas Edison
b) Alexander Graham Bell, or c) Benjamin Franklin
I'm not a qualified electrician myself, Neil, but I'll say c) Benjamin Franklin.
OK. Well one person who definitely is a qualified electrician is BBC presenter Gareth Mitchell. So
when BBC Radio 4's ‘Science Stories' sent him to meet electricity expert Keith Bell,
the conversation was, shall we say, sparky.
Standard frequency in the US is 60 hertz, actually I think in the US on the mainland
US, main continent, there are three different synchronous areas.
So although it's around 60 hertz, at any moment in time these three different areas, because they're
not connected to each other, will be going at a slightly different frequency. There are bigger
differences elsewhere. So in Japan for example, I think one of the main islands is at 60 hertz and
the other half of Japan is at 50 hertz. That's a bit of a pickle!
Generally speaking, frequency means how often something repeats.
In the case of electrical currents, frequency is
the number of times an electrical wave repeats a positive-to-negative cycle.
It's measured in hertz (Hz). In the US power is at 60 hertz and in the UK it's around 50 hertz.
So the US and UK are not in the same synchronous
area – not occurring together at the same time and rate, or in this case, frequency.
Which means that to safely use a British electrical device in America,
I need to convert the power supply. If not it won't work or even worse, it could break.
And a broken laptop could leave you in a bit of a pickle – an informal
expression meaning a difficult situation with no
obvious answer. Here's Gareth and Keith again talking about more differences.
I'm pretty sure when I go to the United States, my electric toothbrush doesn't charge up
at 60 hertz - 110 volts, but my laptop still works. Maybe you have no comment,
Keith, but I'm just saying…one of these anomalies that I seem to have found.
So, I'm not sure about the electric toothbrush but I know a lot of our power supplies for
laptops and stuff are solid state, you know - they've got electronics in that do all the
conversion for you, so basically it ends up with a DC supply into the machine itself. So there's
a little converter in there and it's designed so it doesn't care what frequency the AC input is.
Gareth noticed that in the United States his toothbrush doesn't always
fully charge up – get the power needed to make it work.
Electric toothbrushes which don't fully charge and differences between electrical frequencies
are good examples of anomalies – things which are different from what is usual or expected.
But with modern technology these anomalies are becoming less and less
commonplace. For example, computer companies have started making laptops with
solid state electronics – electronics using semiconductors which have no moving parts
and can automatically convert different electrical currents.
Meaning I can use my laptop to google the answer to your quiz question!
Ah, yes. I asked you which scientist was credited with discovering electricity. And you said?
c) Benjamin Franklin – and I already know I'm right because I googled it on my solid
state laptop! To show that lightning was electricity, Franklin attached a metal key
to a kite and flew it during a thunderstorm. The key conducted electricity and gave him a shock!
Hmm, not an experiment I recommend trying at home! Today we've been talking about
anomalies – or unexpected differences in electrical currents between countries.
Electrical currents are measured in frequencies – the number of times
a wave repeats a positive-to-negative cycle. These can be different if two countries are
not synchronous – occurring at the same rate, for example Britain and the United States.
Different frequencies may mean your electrical devices like your laptop,
phone and toothbrush won't properly charge up – get the power to function, in other countries.
And having a phone with no power could leave you in a bit of a pickle - a difficult situation.
Fortunately many modern devices use solid state electronics – non-moving
semiconductors inside the machine which automatically convert the electrical current.
So you'll never miss another edition of 6 Minute English again!
That's all for today. See you soon at BBC Learning
English for more interesting topics and related vocabulary. Bye for now!
Bye!
Hello I'm Rob and this is 6 Minute English – a programme that brings you
an interesting topic, authentic listening practice
and some vocabulary to help you improve your language skills. Joining me today is Neil.
Hello. And today we're discussing those pilotless
aircraft that we seem to be hearing and reading a lot about at the moment.
You mean drones. And yes, they are in the news quite often for good and bad reasons.
They've been used for many things from smuggling drugs, detecting water leaks and surveillance.
And surveillance – that means ‘the act of carefully watching someone or
something' – perhaps a criminal – but also it means spying, maybe on me and you Rob?
So should we be welcoming the rise of the use of drones?
Well, before our discussion about that 'takes off',
we need to set today's question for you to answer, Neil.
What are you droning on about Rob? And by that I don't mean ‘flying a drone' – I mean
‘talking too much in a very boring way'!
Thanks Neil. Now just answer this, will you?
Drones are sometimes also referred to as UAVs. So, what does UAV stand for? Is it…
a) Unidentified aerial vehicle
b) Unmanned aerial vehicle c) Unaided aircraft vehicle