By
Viewed
22,791
Please choose the correct answer for each question below:
Questions: 0/134
Correct: 0
Translate:
From BBC Learning English.
This is Learning English from the News,
our podcast about the news headlines.
In this programme:
Social media banned
for kids in Australia.
Hello, I'm Georgie.
And I'm Phil.
In this programme,
we look at one big news story
and the vocabulary in the headlines
that will help you understand it.
You can find all the vocabulary
and headlines from this episode,
as well as a worksheet
on our website, bbclearningenglish.com
So Phil, let's hear more
about this story.
Children under the age of 16
in Australia are no longer allowed
to have social media accounts by law.
Some of the platforms included
in the ban
are TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
The Australian government says the
ban will reduce the negative impact
of features that encourage children
to spend time on screens,
potentially being exposed
to harmful content.
But critics of the ban say
that children will not get
the social contact they need,
and might be tempted to search
in darker parts of the internet.
Let's have our first headline.
This one is from The Observer,
a newspaper in the UK.
Australia's social media ban comes
into force.
And that headline, again from
The Observer, a British newspaper.
Australia's social media ban comes
into force.
So this headline describes the start
of the new law.
And the expression we're looking
at is 'comes into force'.
Phil, what do we mean when we say
that something comes into force?
When we say something comes into force,
we mean that it starts to happen.
This new law was planned
and now it has become a law
in reality - it has come into force.
OK, so what else can you tell us
about this expression?
Is it just for laws?
It's true that it's used
to describe new laws starting,
but it's about rules, systems
and ways of doing things as well.
So for example, we can say that a new
IT policy at work has come into force.
And there's a similar expression,
isn't there, Georgie?
Yes. We can also say
that something has come into effect
and it means the same thing.
So a new social media ban for kids
has come into effect in Australia.
We've had come into force -
a new rule
or policy starts to be used.
For example, people's health has
improved since the smoking ban came
into force.
This is Learning English from the News,
our podcast about the news headlines.
Today, we're talking about social
media platforms being banned for
under 16s in Australia.
The Australian government has specified
a list of platforms included in the ban.
But the government have made it clear
that the law might be extended
to other companies
depending on the harm caused.
And our next headline is about this.
This one comes from 9News,
on Australian news site.
Here are the platforms
that will be included in
the under-16s social media ban.
But there's a caveat.
That headline again from 9News,
an Australian news site.
Here are the platforms
that will be included in
the under-16s social media ban.
But there's a caveat.
So this article looks
at the apps which are now banned
for children in Australia.
And we're looking at the word 'caveat'.
What does caveat mean?
A caveat is like a warning
about the limits of a situation.
So at the moment, the Australian law
doesn't include all social media
and gaming sites
that children spend time on.
But the caveat is that the law could
extend to more platforms in the future.
Right, so the warning to those companies,
or people using the platforms, is
that they should be prepared
in case that happens.
Caveat is often used
in official situations,
in legal contexts
or the work of government,
but it's also quite common
in everyday language.
Yeah, so for example, if I'm presenting
to you a project I've been working on
and I want your feedback,
I might give you some caveats
like 'it's not completely finished',
or 'I haven't added the music
to this audio yet',
just to warn you that it's not yet
the finished product.
Or my caveat before giving
my children pocket money
is that it can't be spent on sweets.
And just a note, caveat is also
a verb, so you can caveat something,
can't you, Phil?
Yes.
So your boss might say,
'It's fine to go home early,
but I'm going to caveat that
by saying you need to have got
all the work finished first'.
We've had caveat - warning
about the limits of a situation.
For example, it's a work trip,
so they'll pay for my flight,
but the caveat is
that it has to be the cheapest one,
so it's a really early start.
This is Learning English from
the News from BBC Learning English.
We're talking about Australia's
social media ban for children under 16.
Some teenagers say that they
still have access to their accounts
since the ban has come into effect.
The person
in charge of internet safety
in Australia has said that
the law would have 'teething issues',
meaning problems that you have when
you're getting used to something new.
Let's have our next headline.
OK, this one is from BusinessWorld,
a news organisation based
in the Philippines.
Australia leader defends social media
ban as teens brag about staying online.
And that headline again
from BusinessWorld,
a business news site based
in the Philippines.
Australian leader defends social media
ban as teens brag about staying online.
So this headline is about the Australian
prime minister defending the new law
against criticism.
We're looking at 'brag'.
Why are teens bragging
about staying online?
Well, the verb brag means you talk
about something you have
or that you've achieved,
but with too much pride.
It's about saying it in a way
that other people don't like.
Right. So if some teens still have
access to Snapchat or Instagram,
for example, and they say
to those who don't have access,
'Ha ha, I've still got Snapchat
and Instagram!'
That's bragging,
and other teens might not like that.
Yeah, and the politicians who've made
the law might also not like it.
Let's have another example.
Yeah, so imagine a sports match.
If one team wins by many points
and they brag about their victory
to the losing team, the losing team
probably won't like that.
Or if I've got a few days off work
and you haven't,
and I come in and say, 'I've got time off
and you have to come in and work, loser!'
you probably won't like it.
No, I probably won't.
We've had brag - speak with too
much pride about something you have
or have achieved.
For example, if you brag too much
about coming top of the class,
people might stop liking you.
And that's it for this episode
of Learning English from the News.
We'll be back next week
with another news story.
Why not try the worksheet on our
website to test what you've learned,
and that is at bbclearningenglish.com
And you can also follow us on
social media @BBCLearningEnglish.
Bye for now.
Goodbye.
Related Songs