Work in pairs. Discuss what young people should be allowed to do in each situation. Complete the sentence stems with your own ideas and reasons. You can agree or disagree with the examples.
1. Having a smartphone at nine
- The problem with giving a nine-year-old a smartphone is …
- Surely a child of nine only needs a phone to …
- Wouldn’t it be better to give them …?
Example: “Surely a child of nine only needs a phone to contact their parents when they’re away from home.”
2. Riding an e-bike at fifteen
- What worries me most about teenagers riding e-bikes is …
- Surely teenagers should be allowed to ride an e-bike if …
- Don’t you think parents should check … before …?
Example: “What worries me most about teenagers riding e-bikes is that they might take risks to impress their friends.”
3. Going camping without adults at sixteen
- The good thing about camping without adults is that …
- Surely teenagers need to show they can … before …
- Wouldn’t it be worth asking them to …?
Example: “Wouldn’t it be worth asking them to plan a shorter trip closer to home first?”
4. Having a part-time job at fourteen
- The best thing about having a job at fourteen is …
- The main problem with working during the school week is …
- Don’t you think fourteen-year-olds should be allowed to work as long as …?
Example: “Don’t you think fourteen-year-olds should be allowed to work as long as they still have enough time for homework and sleep?”
5. Staying home alone overnight at sixteen
- What worries me most about leaving a sixteen-year-old alone overnight is …
- Surely staying home alone is a chance to …
- Wouldn’t it be better to arrange for …?
Example: “Wouldn’t it be better to arrange for a relative to stay nearby in case there’s a problem?”
6. Using social media at thirteen
- The problem with joining social media at thirteen is …
- Surely everyone knows that posting personal information online can …
- Isn’t it important for parents to … before …?
Example: “Isn’t it important for parents to discuss privacy before their children start using social media?”
7. Getting a piercing at sixteen
- The thing is, a sixteen-year-old should be able to decide …
- Surely parents have a right to … if …
- Wouldn’t it be worth waiting until …?
Example: “Wouldn’t it be worth waiting until they’ve had a few months to think about whether they really want it?”
8. Staying out until midnight at fifteen
- The main problem with letting fifteen-year-olds stay out until midnight is …
- Surely the important thing is how they … rather than …
- Don’t you think a later curfew would make sense if …?
Example: “Surely the important thing is how they get home rather than exactly what time they leave their friends.”