Evaluating assumptions about social media content promotion and user engagement
Question
Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the above passage?
Options
Constructed as a marketplace of views, social media ensures instant access to information.
Social media are not ideal or moral institutions but the products built by companies to make profits.
Social media have been created to strengthen democracies.
In today's world, social media are inevitable for well-informed social life.
Explanation
The passage provides a critical assessment of social media, highlighting how capital buys algorithmic amplification ("buying a louder voice") and how platforms intentionally prioritize "inflammatory content" simply because it drives engagement metrics[cite: 1160, 1218]. This directly exposes social media as profit-driven commercial vehicles rather than moral public utilities[cite: 1218, 1221]. Options (a), (c), and (d) present overly positive or idealistic views of digital platforms that run counter to the author's warning[cite: 1161, 1218].
Answer: (b).
Question details
Year
2024
Paper
CSAT
Question
Q13
Section
Reading Comprehension
Sub-topic
Technology / Polity passage
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Hard
Source hint
Passage (Social media and political discourse) - Q13
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