How beauty filters are changing the way we want
to look
1. Discuss the questions.
• What social media platforms are you using these days?
• Is TikTok becoming more popular than Instagram among your friends?
• Are you meeting your friends anytime soon?
• Are your friends always using filters when posting photos/videos online?
2. Look at the questions from ex. 1 and match them to the possible uses of
Present Continuous.
a) future arrangement
b) annoying action/habit
c) trend or changing situation
d) temporary or current situation
3. Read the statements and decide which of the four uses from ex. 2 they are.
A. They are constantly making mistakes in our invoices.
B. The value of bitcoin is rising fast.
C. This year, we are focusing on our new product.
D. She is always telling me what to do even though I’m her supervisor.
E. Selfie sticks are becoming less popular with the advancement of cameras.
F. I’m seeing my manager after the meeting tonight.
G. I’m currently working on a new feature.
H. We are having a conference call in 15 minutes.
4. Look at these modern trends/movements. Talk about them using Present
Continuous.
EXAMPLE:
“People are becoming more dependent on technology.”
“My kids are always looking at their phones during dinner.”
• cyber bullying • cosmetic procedures and
surgeries
• face filters on social media
• cancel culture
• TikTok
Copyrights by ESL Brains
How beauty filters are changing the way we want
to look
5. Read the short text about dysmorphia and answer the questions.
Today, more and more people are suffering from the
syndrome called ‘body dysmorphia’. It is a mental condition
that is characterised by constant obsessive thinking about a
flaw on your face or body and is often imagined or hardly
noticeable to others. It results in people turning to surgery or
social isolation. Body dysmorphia is often caused by the
overuse of social media and the desire to look like the
filtered picture of you. This helped coin another term –
‘snapchat dysmorphia’.
• Have you heard of anyone who suffers from body dysmorphia?
• Do you think it’s a serious illness? Can it be treated easily?
• Have you ever shown any symptoms of this disorder?
6. Before watching a video [https://youtu.be/8yIdCKGcCgg] about dysmorphia,
look at the phrases below, complete them with the words in the box and
discuss their meanings. Ignore the lines with »» for the time being.
appearance beauty body images parental
a) be bombarded with ……………………
»» ……………………………………………………………………………………….
b) feel self-conscious about your ……………………
»» ……………………………………………………………………………………….
c) be bullied for your ……………………
»» ……………………………………………………………………………………….
d) fall victim to …………………… standards
»» ……………………………………………………………………………………….
e) …………………… consent
»» ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Copyrights by ESL Brains
How beauty filters are changing the way we want
to look
7. Watch the video and note down what contexts the phrases from ex. 6 are
used in. You can use the lines with »» in the previous exercise.
8. Watch the video again and complete the gaps with one word each.
a) These cosmetic procedures are becoming so popular with ………….. .
b) The reporters sat down with teens to talk about why they are taking these
extreme ………….. .
c) How you look is under a ………….. . You are constantly comparing yourself to
these people.
d) We live in a generation where we equate our self-worth and value with literally
numerical value on a page. We see who is getting likes and ………….. and we
assume that’s the right path.
e) The girl doesn’t want to encourage other teens to get them (lip injections),
admitting she is sending a ………….. message.
9. Read the sentences from ex. 8 again and identify which uses of Present
Continuous they are.
10. Discuss the following statements. Do you agree or disagree? Why (not)?
• Due to the body positivity movement, people are becoming less self-conscious
about their appearance.
• Teens are more likely to fall victim to the propaganda of beauty standards.
• We are bombarded with images of how we should look to the same degree on
social media and TV.
• Everyone who uses social media has been cyber-bullied at least once.
• Teens aged 16+ shouldn’t have to have parental consent to get cosmetic
surgery.
Copyrights by ESL Brains
