Cellphone, Friend or Foe?

Discussion, video, and vocabulary activity

1.Discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups:

On a scale from 1 to 10, how important is your cellphone in your life? What do you use your cellphone for? Do you ever switch off or silence it? When? Why? Why not? How often do you glance at it when you are working or studying? Do you use it when you are with another person? How do you feel when people use their cellphones when they are spending time with, or talking to you? Would you say that you have an addiction? Do you know people who are addicted to their cellphones?

2.Video Segment:  “I Forgot My Phone”

Imagine you spent a day without your cellphone... What would that day be like?

This is a short film directed by Miles Crawford and written by Charlene de Guzman, that points at the apparently negative aspects of using cellphones. 

Watch the video and order the following scenes. There are two extra ones that do not appear in the film.

I Forgot My Phone from Miles Crawford on Vimeo.

A)Girl walking on the beach sees a man proposing to his girlfriend while taking a selfie. B)Little girl in a park looking at her phone instead of swinging. C)Girl turns out the light to sleep while her boyfriend is looking at his phone. D)Girl in class while everybody is using their phones. E)Girl in a restaurant with friends trying to speak while their friends look at their phones. F)Girl with a friend who’s pouring a drink and taking a selfie of herself. G)A couple waking up in the morning, boyfriend looking at his cellphone. H)Man at a theater show using his phone. I)Girl trying to buy at a store while the shop assistant is using her cellphone. J)Girl bringing out the cake at a birthday party while everybody is recording the moment. K)Girl bowling at an alley while her friends are using their cellphones. L)Girl going for a run in the mountains, trying to enjoy the moment while someone talks loudly on his phone. M)Girl at a concert and everybody is recording the show.

After-watching Debate:

• Do you think these scenes show normal, expected behavior from the participants?
• What about the girl’s feelings? 
• Which, if any, of these situations would you find annoying? Why?
• Do you feel identified with the topic? How?
• Is there anything you would like to be different?

Answers here!