If someone said they’d pay you 1,800 dollars to stay off social media for six years, would you do it? Could you?
Sivert Klefsaas did just that. “I thought it was awesome,” Sivert told CNN Tuesday, “I thought, ‘Ah what’s 6 more years?’”
In 2016, Lorna Goldstrand Klefsaas challenged her 12-year-old son Sivert to stay off social media until he was 18. If he completed the challenge, she’d award him the cash on his eighteenth birthday. On February 19, 2022, Sivert claimed his prize.
Lorna was inspired by a challenge she heard on the radio called the “16 for 16”, where a mother gave her daughter 1,600 dollars when she turned 16 if she stayed off social media, she told CNN. She decided to up the ante (提高赌注) to two extra years and 200 dollars more.
Sivert said it wasn’t too difficult to live without social media, and he didn’t think about it much during the six years. As a 12-year-old, Sivert said he wasn’t using social media much anyway. The only app he had prior to the bet was Snapchat — which he deleted a day after trying it out.
“I wouldn’t say there was ever a time when I thought I was about to break,” he said. “As it went on, it was more of a proud thing.” He also had his friends keep him up to date on the latest information or trends. “I got to avoid all the unnecessary drama that was on there,” Sivert added. It also meant he had more time to focus on his grades and sports instead, Sivert told reporters.
Now 1,800 dollars richer, Sivert told CNN he hasn’t thought about what to buy (when he was 12, he joked he’d get a house), but it’ll likely be something for his dorm room at the University of Northwester St. Paul, which he’ll attend in the fall.
【小题1】What made Lorna get the idea of challenging her son to stay off social media?A.A TV programme. | B.A CNN programme. |
C.Her neighbor’s example. | D.A radio programme. |
A.Too difficult. | B.Satisfied. | C.Critical. | D.Unhappy. |
A.A mobile phone. | B.More friends. |
C.Concentration on his study. | D.Being admitted to university. |
A.A teen stays off social media for 6 years |
B.Social media have bad influence on teens |
C.Teens are increasingly addicted to social media |
D.A mother challenged her son to stay off social media |