Do we have to choose between social media and self-worth? IG vs. REALITY
發現自我價值 不一定要完美無瑕
Are you one of the 3.6 billion people on earth who use social media? One app, Instagram, has over 500 million daily users and 1 billion users each month! This makes it one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. We average over two hours every day on social media. But does following friends, companies and influencers make our lives better or worse? Does sharing pictures and getting likes have a positive or negative effect on us? Phoebe and Joanna are friends, but they don't feel the same way about social media.
Hey, did you see the article Lydia posted on Facebook this morning?
You mean the one about Instagram being bad for us?
Yeah, it talks about the psychological effects of comparing ourselves with pictures of artificial beauty. It also says people's real lives aren't as wonderful as they seem on Instagram.
I don't see what the big deal is. I love using Instagram!
I use it, too, but I'm becoming worried. Don't you think that what people share is kind of fake?
Just because people use filters on their selfies doesn't mean they're fake. What's wrong with making a few small improvements?
Info Cloud
reality check 現實的檢驗
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Recently I have been teaching people how to sing. I have to say that the most challenging thing is getting people to practice every day.
Well, I have tried playing the piano before. I know how hard it is to overcome laziness to practice. How do you do that with your students?
I give them a reality check by asking them in detail how much time they spend practicing each day. That's when they realize they are not practicing enough, if at all.
Wow. That sounds like a common problem with singers.
It is. My voice teacher told me singers are lazy and sometimes they don't know it. So it is my job to bring them back to reality.
OK. Well, let's talk about these two expressions you just used: reality check and bring someone back to reality.
A reality check is something that forces someone to face what is really happening in reality. For example, the failed project is a reality check that the company has some internal problems to solve.
On the other hand, when you bring someone back to reality, you're almost waking them up from any illusions that they might have so they can face the facts.
For example, I wanted to buy a new computer, but my empty bank account brought me back to reality.
So "reality check" and "bring someone back to reality" basically have the same meaning. They're both used to let people face the reality of what's really happening.
有的時候過度樂觀或是悲觀都不是很好的事情，今天要跟大家分享兩個有關面對現實的流行用語，第一個是 reality check，reality 是現實，check 有檢查或檢驗的涵義，reality check 就是現實的檢驗，這通常是指一些讓我們面對現實的事件，例如: The failed project is a reality check for the company. 這個失敗的企劃案迫使公司必須面對現狀，有可能是因為長期以來，大家都不願意去面對現實，現在發生這些事情，可以讓大家正視一些問題。
另外，bring someone back to reality 幾乎是一樣的意思，只不過是動詞，My empty bank account brought me back to reality. 我那個已經沒錢的銀行帳戶把我打回現實，有可能是本來想買一些東西，可是想到沒錢就打消主意了。
Language Lab
billion n. 十億
the number 1,000,000,000 : one thousand million
- The company made over two billion dollars last year.
公司去年賺超過二十億。
billion n. 很多
many
- I’ve told you a billion times not to do this!
我已經跟你講很多次不要這樣做。
- Henry has driven by this store billions of times, but he has never once entered it.
Henry 開車經過這家店不知道有多少次了，但是他從來都沒有進去過。
average n. 平均、平均數
a number that is calculated by adding quantities together and then dividing the total by the number of quantities
- I don’t need to see all the numbers; just give me the average.
我不用看到所有的數字，給我平均數就好。
average adj. 平均的
calculated by adding quantities together and then dividing by the number of quantities
- The factory workers are rather young; the average age is 18.
工廠的工人都很年輕，他們的平均年齡是18歲。
average v. 平均為
to have (a specified number) as an average
- Business was good last week, and the sales team averaged ten customers per day.
業務團隊上禮拜的生意非常好，每天平均可以收到十位客戶的訂單。
psychological adj. 跟心理學有關的、跟心理方面的
/ˌsaɪkəˈlɑːʤɪkəl/
of or relating to the mind : mental
- The school counselor cares about the psychological wellness of her students.
校園輔導員很關心學生們的心理健康。
psychological adj. 心理作用
of or relating to the study of the mind : of or relating to psychology
- Irma says the job is too hard for her, but I think it’s all psychological.
Irma 說那份工作對他來說太難了，但是我認為那只是她心理作用。
- This psychological thriller proves that a story doesn’t need ghosts in order to be scary.
這部心裡懸疑片證明一個故事沒有鬼出現，也同樣可以讓人感到害怕。
fake adj. 假的
not true or real
- In the movie, a spy used a fake passport to travel through several countries.
在影片裡，情報員用假護照到幾個不同國家去。
fake adj. 虛偽的
- Cassandra might appear friendly, but don’t be fooled by her fake smile.
Cassandra 也許看起來非常友善，但別被她虛偽的微笑給騙了。
fake n. 東西或人是假的或是冒充的
a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people
- Roberta is so mad because she had spent a thousand dollars on a fake purse.
Roberta 很生氣，因為她花了一千塊購買了一個冒牌的皮包。
self–worth n.
a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect : self-esteem
- a healthy sense of self-worth
