B2 Lesson Digital Minimalism – Take Control of Your Screen Time
Topic: Technology, Lifestyle, Digital Habits
Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
Skills: Reading, Vocabulary, Speaking
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Target Vocabulary: screen time, distraction, digital detox, productivity, habit loop, intentional, notification fatigue
Warm-up – Quick Questions
Answer the following questions in your notebook or in your mind. You can also speak them out loud to practice fluency.
- How many hours a day do you spend looking at a screen?
- What are your top 3 most-used apps?
- Do you think your phone habits are healthy? Why or why not?
Match the words to their definitions:
- Digital detox
- Distraction
- Productivity
- Habit loop
- Intentional
- Notification fatigue
Definitions:
A short-term break from technology
b. Doing something on purpose, not by accident
c. When you get too many alerts and messages and stop noticing them
d. Something that pulls your attention away
e. A pattern of behavior that repeats automatically
f. How much you can achieve in a set time
1 → a
2 → d
3 → f
4 → e
5 → b
6 → c
Reading – Why I Deleted My Social Media Apps for 30 Days
Read the blog excerpt below:
Last month, I decided to try a 30-day digital detox. I deleted all my social media apps—Instagram, Twitter, even YouTube. At first, it was difficult. I constantly picked up my phone, only to realize there was nothing to scroll through.
But by the second week, something changed. I noticed fewer distractions. I was more focused at work and my productivity increased. I also started reading books again—something I hadn’t done in months.
I learned that much of my phone use was a habit loop—I wasn’t using my phone intentionally. I was just bored or stressed. Turning off notifications helped a lot too. I didn’t realize how much notification fatigue was affecting my mood.
In the end, I reinstalled some apps, but I use them differently now. I set time limits and schedule offline hours. I feel like I’m in control of my time again.
Comprehension Check
Answer the following questions based on the reading:
- What did the writer do for 30 days?
- What positive changes did they notice?
- What is a “habit loop” according to the text?
- How did turning off notifications help?
- What changes did the writer make after the 30 days?
Write your answers in your notebook or say them aloud. Check the suggested answers at the bottom.
- The writer did a 30-day digital detox by deleting social media apps.
- They felt less distracted, more productive, and started reading again.
- A habit loop is a repeated behavior that happens automatically.
- Turning off notifications helped reduce stress and improve mood.
- They reinstalled some apps but now use them with time limits.
Speaking Practice – Talk About Your Experience
Record yourself answering these questions or discuss them with a friend, teacher, or language partner:
- Have you ever taken a digital detox? Why or why not?
- What are some ways people can reduce their screen time?
- Do you think people today are too connected to their phones?
Tip: Use new vocabulary words in your answers (e.g. “intentional,” “distractions,” “notification fatigue”).
Mini Challenge – 24 Hours of Intentional Use
Try a simple digital detox for 24 hours:
- Delete or log out of at least one app you use too much.
- Set a screen time limit for today.
- At the end of the day, reflect:
- What did you do instead of using your phone?
- How did it feel?
- Would you do it again?
Review & Reflection
Write 5–7 sentences about your screen habits and what you learned today.
Try to use at least 4 new words from the lesson.