PERSPECTIVE
Free ESL Conversation Resource · Digital Detox

Digital Detox ESL Discussion Questions

15 conversation questions about smartphones, screen habits, social media, attention and whether switching off is really the answer.
A1–A2 BeginnerB1–B2 IntermediateC1–C2 Advanced

Use these digital detox ESL discussion questions for pair work, small-group speaking or whole-class conversation. Choose the level that fits your learners, or move through all three sections as the questions become more challenging.

A

Beginner · A1–A2

Start the conversation

  1. 01

    What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

  2. 02

    Has your phone ever stopped you from enjoying a real moment?

  3. 03

    Why is a phone so hard to put down?

  4. 04

    Would a digital detox help you? Why or why not?

  5. 05

    Should schools or offices have times with no phones?

Ready for the full lesson?Explore the A1–A2 Digital Detox lesson →
B

Intermediate · B1–B2

Explore the issue

  1. 01

    What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Does it involve a screen?

  2. 02

    Has your phone ever stopped you from enjoying a real-life moment?

  3. 03

    Why do you think phones are so hard to put down?

  4. 04

    Do you think a digital detox would help you? Why or why not?

  5. 05

    Should schools or workplaces have screen-free times? Why or why not?

Take the topic further.Explore the B1–B2 Digital Detox lesson →

If technology is designed to keep us hooked, whose job is it to switch off?

One topic. Three levels. Countless perspectives.
C

Advanced · C1–C2

Challenge the idea

  1. 01

    Which app would you find hardest to give up? What does that tell you?

  2. 02

    Is phone overuse a personal failing, or a predictable result of design?

  3. 03

    Why might quitting social media leave some people more isolated, not less?

  4. 04

    Should addictive app features be regulated, as gambling is?

  5. 05

    If a phone is someone’s lifeline, is a digital detox a privilege?

Push the discussion further.Explore the C1–C2 Digital Detox lesson →
Perspective English · Complete lessons

Turn the discussion into a full lesson.

Continue with the complete Digital Detox lesson at the level your class needs. Perspective lessons combine reading, vocabulary, discussion and deeper speaking tasks around one conversation-worthy topic.

A1–A2

Accessible language and clear questions for beginner and elementary learners.

View beginner lesson →B1–B2

Develop the issue with richer vocabulary, reading and discussion.

View intermediate lesson →C1–C2

Explore design, responsibility, regulation and the limits of switching off in greater depth.

View advanced lesson →