Note : All Viralelt posts share the same structure. Teacher’s notes appear only on How to use Viralelt. This is done to keep “teacher text” to a minimum and avoid repetition.
Pavlok is a wrist-worn motivational device designed to help break bad habits by administering an electric shock every time the wearer shows weakness or succumbs to temptation. Before showing the video below, write “Unbearable wearable” on the board (optional image here) and ask your students what they think the video might be about.
Notes : a) Stop the video at 01:10, when the animated presentation finishes. b) If your students are unfamiliar with wearable technology, you may like to show them “What is wearable tech and what can I do with it?“. c) If you are curious to see what it feels like to receive the Pavlok shock, watch this ABC News report.
- Do you have any bad habits or vices that you would like to give up or do less of?
- Would you consider trying Pavlok to help you quit the bad habits you’ve just mentioned? What about if you had a more serious problem?
- Is it better to quit something overnight, from one day to the next, or is it better to cut down gradually over a period of time? Does this depend on what people want to give up?
- Do you ever make New Year’s resolutions? Do you normally manage to keep these promises to yourself?
- How can you tell the difference between a bad habit and an addiction? When can you say that somebody is addicted to something as opposed to just having a bad habit?
- Are addictions and compulsive behaviours mental or physical problems? Or are they both mental and physical?
- Are the following activities bad habits or addictions? Which ones are the most difficult to give up? Have you ever known anyone who has had a problem with one of them?
smoking | biting one’s nails | overworking | doing exercise | shopping | excessive internet use | pornography | gambling | alcohol | coffee | snacking | watching TV - Activity trackers, smartwatches and virtual reality headsets are all types of technology that you can wear. Do you think wearable devices will be a commercial success, or are they just a passing fad?
- Do you think being punished for a bad habit or addiction helps people to give it up? Can you think of better ways to stop bad habits or overcome addiction?
- If you feel you are becoming addicted to something, is it better to deal with it yourself, resort to family and friends or seek the help of a doctor/psychologist?
Which three of the above questions are being discussed?
Download “Question time” and the “Sitting comfortably?” script in an editable Word document here.
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