Welcome to the English we speak with me Phil and me fefei we have an expression that you can use if you think that someone is spending just a bit too much time online it It's touch grass.

Touch grass. So can you explain that?

My friend keeps sending me all these memes.

I don't understand any of them. I don't know where he gets them from.

I really think he needs to touch grass. He sounds like someone who spends far

too much time on a screen. I can see why you think he needs to touch grass.

It's a metaphor but you can see how touch grass is something that you can only do

outside. We use this expression to suggest that someone has lost their

connection to the real world and that they should put their phone down. To be fair, I'm almost as bad. I can spend hours scrolling through social media and I don't even like it.

Maybe someone needs to tell me to touch grass.

Touch grass, Phil. Put your phone down. Go outside, get some fresh air.

Maybe you're right. I do need to touch grass. Okay, listen to these examples. You spend all day playing video games.

I think you need to touch grass.

I check my phone 20 times every hour. I really need to stop and touch grass.

I'm finding it hard to concentrate. I need to touch grass and relax.

You're listening to the English we speak from BBC Learning English and we're learning the expression touch grass. This is what you can say to someone

who you think spends too much time online or on their phone. We usually use it to

suggest that someone's technology use is affecting them negatively.

We should point out here that this expression is definitely for informal situations only.

Yes, it's a slang expression. Telling someone to touch

grass can often be good advice. There's so much to see and do in this city but if you don't get off social media and touch grass, you'll miss it.

Okay, you're right. I'm putting my phone away. But you know what? I'm going to go to the countryside and touch grass for real that sounds like a good idea

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