Can social media be a force for good? For rugby prop and Red Roses star Sarah Bern, time online helped her to build confidence and learn self-acceptance.
‘TikTok videos helped me love my body’
Strong and able: "My body is built for this," Bern says on social media. "For my teammates, for power, for speed, for strength, for rugby, for purpose, for beauty." Comprehension quiz
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In the article, it says fitness influencers can promote unrealistic goals. What does the word ‘unrealistic’ mean?
A: A goal that is easy to achieve.
B: A goal that is not sensible or likely to be achieved.
C: A goal that is very popular with teenagers.
D: A goal that is shared on social media.
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Which word is the closest synonym for ‘anxious’?
A: Excited
B: Angry
C: Worried
D: Happy
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Add the correct punctuation to the sentence below:
growing up sarah hated her stronger body and larger frame
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According to the article, what did Sarah Bern hate when she was a teenager?
A: Playing rugby.
B: Being on social media.
C: Her stronger body and larger frame.
D: American rugby players.
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What were the two things that helped Sarah overcome her issues with her body?
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The article gives two different views on social media. Name one negative message that videos on social media can promote, according to Australian researchers.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. B 2. C 3. Growing up, Sarah hated her stronger body and larger frame. 4. C 5. The two things that helped Sarah were rugby and social media. 6. Any one of the following: sexualisation, body shaming, or excessive dieting.
1. B 2. C 3. Growing up, Sarah hated her stronger body and larger frame. 4. C 5. The two things that helped Sarah were rugby and social media. 6. Any one of the following: sexualisation, body shaming, or excessive dieting.
Glossary
Tight-head prop - One of the most-valued players in a rugby team. One of three players who form the front row of the scrum.
Periods - A part of the menstrual cycle in which a woman sheds her uterine lining and bleeds for several days. For most women, this happens roughly once every 28 days.
Social media - Social media is defined by websites, apps and social games that connect people to each other through the sharing of pictures, thoughts, ideas, articles, and other content.
Anxious - Worried.
Body types - Elite sport is selecting more extreme body types: forearms in tennis are growing, swimmers' torsos are getting longer and female gymnasts are getting smaller.
perpetuated - made to continue
Sexualisation - The act of viewing something in sexual terms, rather than for its other qualities.