Conversations / Social Media
Social Media Conversation Questions for Adult ESL Classes
Use these 20 discussion questions about Social Media to run a full speaking lesson with adult learners (B1–B2). Each part opens with a vocabulary warm-up, every question is labelled with the thinking skill it practises, and each part fills roughly thirty minutes of class time on its own.
Reviewed by Brando Oxley · 15 Aug 2026
Part 1
Using Social Media in Everyday Life
Focus: sharing social media habits, discussing content and communication, comparing platforms, and explaining personal preferences
Think of one thing people post online, one action people do on social media, and one type of person or account people may follow.
Describe each word without saying it directly. Your teacher or partner must guess the word.
EXPERIENCE
Which social media platforms do you use most, and what do you usually use them for?
ROUTINE
At what times of day are you most likely to check social media?
PREFERENCE
What kinds of posts, videos, or accounts do you enjoy following most?
COMPARE
How is communicating through social media different from talking to someone face to face?
DISCUSS
Why do some people enjoy posting about their lives while others prefer to stay private?
EVALUATE
What makes an account or creator worth following for you?
PROBLEM-SOLVE
What can you do if you notice that you are spending much more time on social media than you intended?
ADAPT
How can someone make their social media feed more useful or positive?
ADVISE
What advice would you give someone who is creating their first public social media account?
REFLECT
How has social media changed the way you communicate or spend your free time?
Part 2
Social Media, Influence, and Online Responsibility
Focus: discussing privacy, misinformation, online behavior, influencers, social pressure, and the wider effects of social media
Choose one word from each category: Person: influencer, friend, customer, student; Action: post, comment, share, block; Situation: argument, advertisement, rumor, viral video; Feeling: amused, angry, embarrassed, curious. Use your four words to describe a short scene in two or three sentences.
DISCUSS
What kinds of information should people avoid sharing publicly on social media?
COMPARE
How is following influencers different from following traditional celebrities?
EVALUATE
How can people decide whether information they see on social media is trustworthy?
INFLUENCE
How can social media affect the way people think about appearance, success, or lifestyle?
BALANCE
How can people enjoy sharing their lives online while still protecting their privacy?
PROBLEM-SOLVE
A false story about someone begins spreading quickly online. What should that person and the platform do?
DISCUSS
Should social media companies remove harmful or misleading content? Explain where you think the limits should be.
CULTURE
How has social media changed communication between younger and older generations in your country?
PREDICT
How do you think social media will change over the next ten years?
REFLECT
Overall, do you think social media has improved people's lives or made them more complicated? Explain your view.