Writing Feature Articles - Lesson a
Writing Feature Articles - Handout .. a
Beginner
Name: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________
. a: Feature Articles Packet
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Hold On - I’ve Got Another Call
New Study Finds Cell Phones May Be Addictive
Weekly Reader Online
Do you freak out when you hear that your
school might ban cell phones? Do you break
into a cold sweat when your cell phone
battery dies? If you can't live without your
cell phone, you might have a problem.
A recent study found that some people could
be addicted to their cell phones. The study
was conducted at Staffordshire University
in England. About 40 percent of students
surveyed said they couldn't do without their
cell phones. About 90 percent said they took
their phones with them everywhere. One
third of students surveyed said they used
cell phones to cheer themselves up.
The study also asked students ages 18 to
25 questions designed to measure addictive
behavior. The results found that one in six
cell phone users have a lot in common with
gambling addicts. Some people said they
sometimes lied about their cell phone use.
Others admitted to stealing to pay for their
cell phone habit.
Dr. David Shef?eld, who conducted the study, says he wasn't surprised by the results. "Students use
their phones heavily, and this has both positive affects [such as] staying in contact with friends and
family, and negative ones too, [such as] ?nancial costs and social costs," he told Weekly Reader. "The
most surprising ?nding was that a number of people reported they had lost a relationship or job due to
mobile phone use."
As part of the study, some students agreed to take a break from their cell phones. After three phonefree days, students reported feeling less stressed about their d Z[H]?\?]ZY??HH????X\???[??\H?HB??H?LXX?[??X]\??[???????XX?[??X]\?????Y?HM???