B1 – Intermediate
Social media has a been a tool for people to be exposed to plastic surgery. Apparently, beauty standards are a thing on social media. Hence, people are wanting to get cosmetic procedures to conform to these so-called beauty standards.
Read the article to learn more about social media and plastic surgery.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/social-media-and-plastic-surgery-level-3/
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “alter” mean, “Social media have built-in filters that alter face shape or facial features to fit current beauty trends.”? Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “undergo” mean, “Experts remind us that cosmetic surgery is still surgery, and although it’s very unlikely, the person undergoing plastic surgery can die.”? Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “ditch” mean, “They also warn that doctors with less training ditch their chosen profession to perform procedures.”? Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think plastic surgery has become more popular in recent years?
- How popular has plastic surgery become in your own country?
- How do you think social media influences people’s decisions about plastic surgery?
- What are some positive and negative effects of social media on beauty and self-image?
- What is your opinion on plastic surgery?
- Have you ever considered getting any cosmetic procedures done? Why or why not?
6 replies on “Social Media and Plastic Surgery”
1.-Why do you think plastic surgery has become more popular in recent years? In my opinion we live in a world where the image has more importance than it should.The main reason is the social media.
2.How popular has plastic surgery become in your own country?
I think that plastic surgery is used overall by the public people who live of their image
3.How do you think social media influences people’s decisions about plastic surgery? In my point of view TV for famous people and social media for everyone are the main reason to have plastic surgery
4.-What are some positive and negative effects of social media on beauty and self-image?the main advantage that I have seen is the we receive a lot of information and if you know how to select the real news youcan apply that for yourself .I have seen that many people are insterested in doing sports and eat in a healthy way
5.What is your opinion on plastic surgery?
it depends on the kind or surgery , if it is minimal , ther is not problem and the advantages outweight disadvantages.If you want and important plastic surgery you can be in risk, I have seen in the news that some people died because of that and it is a pitty
6.Have you ever considered getting any cosmetic procedures done? Why or why not?
Well, I use some cosmetics products for my hair and body but to be honest I don’t notice the difference
You are doing very well. Keep practicing, and you will become an even stronger writer.
A more natural version of this sentence:
Could be this way:
Solid effort! Keep it up.
1.-What is your opinion on plastic surgery?.
My opinion of plastic surgery is that it can be a useful tool that has its positive aspects (correcting congenital deformities, traumatic injuries or damage caused by diseases (such as mastectomies after breast cancer), and more self-esteem, but also negative aspects such as that it depends on the surgeon who operates on you, whether he is a good or bad professional, and whether there are social pressures and beauty standards.
2.-What are the pros and cons of plastic surgery?.
The pros are (correcting congenital deformities, traumatic injuries or damage caused by diseases (such as mastectomies after breast cancer), and more self-esteem, but also the cons, such as that it depends on the surgeon who operates on you, whether he is a good or bad professional, and that there are social pressures and beauty standards.
3.-Are people in your country open-minded about plastic surgery? Why / why not?.
I think that she is not very open-minded about plastic surgery. But more and more young people are more open, and plastic surgery is becoming more fashionable and society is seeing it as more natural and normal to undergo plastic surgery.
I think this change is due to the imposition of high standards of beauty in society, and also to advances in medicine, and also to the fact that they are more affordable for everyone.
4.-Have you been influenced by social media? In what way?.
Not me, because at my age social media doesn’t influence me, but I do understand that when you’re young, you’re more easily influenced and you’re more concerned about how people are doing with you and whether people like you, social media can influence you a lot by imposing false beauty standards.
5.-What do you think of the beauty standards on social media?.
They have a significant impact on people’s perception of themselves and others. I think that with social media there is more diversity in beauty standards, since they are global tools and standards from different cultures are shared, but I think that most of them are lies, since photos can also be modified.
6.-Would you be open to get plastic surgery? Why/why not?.
Well, it depends on a number of variables, such as which part of the body needs to be operated on, what the operation is like, what the post-operative period would be like, whether the doctor who operates on me is a professional or not, and also whether having this operation would improve my quality of life or self-esteem.
You did a great job and put in a lot of efforts in doing your writing homework. Well done!
To improve this response, you may try to use other expressions to say “influence”.
Until your next post!
Vocabulary Questions:
1. What does “alter” mean, “Social media have built-in filters that alter face shape or facial features to fit current beauty trends.”? Give two synonyms of this word and use them in your own sentences.
It means change or modify. “Social media have change the way we interact”. “Technology modifies our behaviour and culture”.
2. What does “go viral” mean, “This gives users an instant picture of what they might look like, and it helps the filters go viral.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
Go viral means become popular and the trending topic.
3. What does “ditch” mean, “They also warn that doctors with less training ditch their chosen profession to perform procedures.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
It means to abandon or discard. “Plans for the road were discarded due to social issues”.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is your opinion on plastic surgery?
In my opinion, if the reason is just to become prettier, it is an unnecessary surgery. According to the video, a plastic surgery is in fact a surgery, and a lot of complications could arise in the operating room. To undergo cosmetic surgery is to submit to avoidable danger. Furthermore, if we look at celebrities photos who applied a plastic surgery, the results are not beautiful at all. It should be used only for reconstruction after accidents or serious illnesses.
2. What are the pros and cons of plastic surgery?
The pros are related with beauty in general. Plastic surgery is supposed to offer an improved appearance following the last beauty trends. Regarding cons, the surgery could develop serious complications related to the anaesthesia, the professionals’ doubted abilities, and some psychological issues could also arise as people could not be able to recognise themselves or be unhappy with the results. According to the video, trying to reverse such a surgery is complicated or impossible in some cases.
3. Are people in your country open-minded about plastic surgery? Why / why not?
I think their opinions are 50/50. There are people who agree and people who don’t. And the debate is regarding the advantages and disadvantages I mentioned above.
4. Have you been influenced by social media? In what way?
No, I am not. I hardly use social media, just to read some news, but my new posts are scarce.
5. What do you think of the beauty standards on social media?
I think they show a false reality as those supposed standards are not standardised under any convention. They are just what each social media has selected or defined as beauty. Furthermore, I think society in general nowadays lives in a kind of dichotomy as they want to be independent and individual but also belong to a group and feel like any other member of such group. They want to be alike and at the same time different.
6. Would you be open to get plastic surgery? Why/why not?
No, I would not. Disadvantages surpass advantages and finally, it is a surgery that can be avoided. I would not submit myself to a danger that I can avoid.
Well done sharing your thoughts regarding this topic.
See how this sentence still be improved a bit:
You can keep working on improving your skills. You can definitely do it!