PART I: WRITTEN RECEPTION (60 points)

(ACCESS TO INFORMATION FROM WRITTEN TEXTS)

Read the article below and then answer questions 1–9.

WHY KIDS CAN'T PUT DOWN THEIR PHONES

I These days, there is tremendous pressure on parents to buy their kids a smartphone. The children
claim that "everyone has one" – and they are not totally wrong. In the USA, for example, by the age
of 12, over 70% of youngsters have a smartphone, and that rises to almost 90% in the teenage years.
Kids spend as much as six hours a day using social media, playing videogames, and watching movies
5 on their phones. Concerned about the damaging effects of such prolonged use, parents try to restrict
the amount of time kids spend on their phones. However, their attempts are largely unsuccessful.
II Parents readily blame themselves, and their kids, for the failure to control phone use. However,
neither are really responsible. The fact is that video games and other apps* have been designed
following years of research by psychologists. They identified ways to keep kids glued to smartphone
10 screens: the apps should provide nonstop excitement and give frequent rewards, such as bonus points
or a shower of stars on the screen. "These methods can have a powerful effect on app users," says
Prof. John Derry of Montforth College. "That's why they're called 'persuasive design.' And software
companies employ psychologists to ensure that their apps are in fact irresistible."
III Extensive research has helped explain the success of persuasive design. Studies have shown
15 that by providing excitement and rewards, smartphone apps lead to a sudden increase in the brain's
production of dopamine – a chemical that causes feelings of happiness. Software companies design
many of their apps to produce such feelings. In some health apps, for example, users are awarded
points for eating more vegetables in a day. But persuasive design is used mainly in apps targeting
children because these apps are the companies' biggest source of profit.
20 IV For many psychologists, persuasive design raises serious ethical issues. "Scientific knowledge
should not be used by software companies to control the minds of youngsters," says Derry. "Especially
since the effects can be so harmful. Kids are being deprived of normal social interactions with
friends. Some develop mental health issues, such as addiction to video games or to social media –
and, in fact, there are now special clinics to help them. This means some psychologists are creating
25 problems that kids must then go to other psychologists to solve!"
V While Derry would like to see companies stop using persuasive design, he knows that this is
unlikely to happen. It is therefore up to parents, he says, to try to influence their kids' behavior. "Get
more involved," he suggests. "Join your kids when they're playing a video game or watching a movie,
so that you'll be able to determine how long the activity lasts. Also, don't spend too much time on
30 your own phones, and show your kids there are other things to do: socializing with friends and family,
playing a sport, or reading a book. With patience and persistence, I believe a lot can be achieved."

* app – אפליקציה, יישומון

<small>בטופס המקורי ההסבר מופיע גם בערבית.</small>

<u>QUESTIONS</u> (60 points)
Answer questions 1–9 in <u>English</u> according to the article. In questions 1, 3, 5 and 9, circle the number of the correct answer. In the other questions, follow the instructions.