– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

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.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ban /bæn/ A2	noun - an official or legal prohibition verb - to prohibit something officially
platform /ˈplæt.fɔːrm/ B1	noun - a raised structure for holding or supporting something, or a system or framework for communication
impact /ˈɪm.pækt/ B1	noun - a strong effect or influence verb - to have a strong effect on someone or something
caveat /ˈkæv.i.æt/ C1	noun - a warning or caution about the limits of a situation
brag /bræɡ/ B1	verb - to talk about oneself in a proud and annoying way
defend /dɪˈfend/ B1	verb - to protect someone or something against attack or criticism
extend /ɪkˈstend/ B1	verb - to stretch out or reach out
harm /hɑːrm/ A2	noun - physical or mental damage verb - to cause physical or mental damage
specify /ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/ B2	verb - to state something clearly and in detail
teething /ˈtiː.θɪŋ/ B2	adjective - relating to the problems experienced when something new is being tried or introduced
force /fɔːrs/ A2	noun - strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement verb - to make something happen by using physical strength or power
encourage /ɪnˈkʌr.ɪdʒ/ A2	verb - to inspire or motivate someone
exposed /ɪkˈspəʊzd/ B1	adjective - not protected from something harmful
contact /ˈkɒn.tækt/ A2	noun - communication with someone
tempted /tɛmptɪd/ B1	adjective - having a desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise

Key Grammar Structures

• Children under the age of 16 in Australia are no longer allowed to have social media accounts by law.

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive Voice

  ➔ The sentence uses the present perfect passive voice ('are no longer allowed') to describe a law that has been implemented and is currently in effect.

• The Australian government says the ban will reduce the negative impact of features that encourage children to spend time on screens.

  ➔ Future Simple with 'will'

  ➔ The sentence uses the future simple with 'will' ('will reduce') to express a prediction or expectation about the outcome of the ban.

• 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.

  ➔ Modal Verb 'might'

  ➔ The sentence uses the modal verb 'might' ('might be tempted') to express a possibility or uncertainty about children's behavior.

• Australia's social media ban comes into force.

  ➔ Present Simple with 'comes into force'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple ('comes into force') to describe an action that is happening now or is a general truth.

• But there's a caveat.

  ➔ Present Simple with 'there's'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple with 'there's' to state a fact or a current situation.

• The law would have 'teething issues', meaning problems that you have when you're getting used to something new.

  ➔ Conditional with 'would'

  ➔ The sentence uses the conditional with 'would' ('would have') to talk about a possible situation in the future.

• Australian leader defends social media ban as teens brag about staying online.

  ➔ Present Simple with 'defends'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple ('defends') to describe a habitual or ongoing action.

• 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!'

  ➔ First Conditional

  ➔ The sentence uses the first conditional ('If I've got... I come in and say') to talk about a likely future situation based on a present condition.