Article: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
Write a lively magazine article about screen time, using your own experience and speaking directly to readers.
- Time
- 40 min
- Length
- 180-220 words
Writadia · B2 · Articles
NameClassDate
The situation
You see this announcement on an English-language website for young people:
Articles wanted: Life on screens How much time do you spend on screens every day? Is it a problem? What could young people do to find a better balance? Send us your article!
Your task
Write your article. Answer the three questions, use a personal, engaging style and give readers something practical to try.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Write a catchy title.
- Open with a hook: a question, a surprising fact about yourself or a short scene.
- Describe your own screen habits honestly.
- Discuss whether it is a problem, with a balanced view.
- Give two or three practical tips and finish with a memorable line.
Useful phrases
Hooks
Engaging the reader
Balanced view
Tips
Ending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- scroll
- move up and down on a screenI scrolled for an hour without noticing.
- notification
- a message that appears on your phoneI turned off my notifications.
- habit
- something you do often, almost without thinkingChecking my phone is a bad habit.
- balance
- the right amount of different thingsIt's about finding a balance.
Model answer (192 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
I Counted My Screen Time. Here's What Happened.
Be honest: how many times have you checked your phone today?1 Last month, I decided to find out my own number. The answer shocked me: six hours and forty minutes a day, most of it spent scrolling through videos I can't even remember.
Of course, screens aren't the enemy. I use mine to study, chat with my cousin in Canada and learn guitar.2 The real problem is the time that disappears without me choosing it. Ten minutes "just checking" becomes an hour, and suddenly it's midnight.
So what can we do? One trick that worked for me was turning off all notifications except messages from my family. My phone stopped calling me, and I stopped answering. I also leave it in the kitchen at night and use an old-fashioned alarm clock.3 The first few nights were strange, but now I sleep better and actually read before bed.
You don't need to throw your phone in a lake. Try one small change for a week and see what happens. Your phone will survive without you. The question is whether you'll notice what you've been missing.4
- A direct question pulls the reader in.
- Balance: screens are useful too.
- Practical, personal tips are more convincing than general advice.
- A memorable last line.
Teacher notes
Article vs essay: articles are more personal and lively. Students compare this model with the essay on free transport and list differences (title, questions to reader, contractions, personal story).
Exam link: B2 First Part 2 article.
Extra challenge
Write a 60-word social media post promoting your article.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: scroll, notification, habit, balance.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Be honest: how many times have you checked your phone today?”, “Last month, I did something unusual: I counted.”, “You're probably thinking ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (180-220 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My article has a title that makes people want to read.
- I used a hook and spoke directly to the reader.
- I answered all three questions.
- I gave practical tips.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My article has a title that makes people want to read.
- I used a hook and spoke directly to the reader.
- I answered all three questions.
- I gave practical tips.
Writadia · B2 · Articles
Assessment rubric: Article: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My article has a title that makes people want to read.
- I used a hook and spoke directly to the reader.
- I answered all three questions.
- I gave practical tips.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B2 · Articles
Peer-review sheet: Article: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My article has a title that makes people want to read. | |||
| I used a hook and spoke directly to the reader. | |||
| I answered all three questions. | |||
| I gave practical tips. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
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Writadia · B2 · Articles
Lesson plan: Article: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: scroll, notification, habit, balance.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Be honest: how many times have you checked your phone today?”, “Last month, I did something unusual: I counted.”, “You're probably thinking ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (180-220 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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