Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the above passage?
- (a) Constructed as a marketplace of views, social media ensures instant access to information.
- (b) Social media are not ideal or moral institutions but the products built by companies to make profits. ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Social media have been created to strengthen democracies.
- (d) In today's world, social media are inevitable for well-informed social life.
Why the answer is (b)
• The passage argues that anonymous private entities with high capital can pay for more space, effectively 'buying a louder voice' on the internet.
• This mechanism implies that social media platforms function as commercial products where influence is determined by financial resources rather than merit or truth.
• The text highlights that this dynamic degrades the quality of political discourse, suggesting the platforms are driven by profit motives (selling space/attention) rather than democratic ideals.
• Therefore, the central idea is that social media are commercial products built by companies to make profits, not neutral or moral institutions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) Constructed as a marketplace of views, social media ensures instant access to information.
- The passage does not discuss instant access to information but rather the unequal distribution of voice based on capital.
- (c) Social media have been created to strengthen democracies.
- The passage suggests that the commercial nature of social media harms political discourse, contradicting the idea that it strengthens democracies.
- (d) In today's world, social media are inevitable for well-informed social life.
- The passage focuses on the negative impact of capital-driven discourse, not on the inevitability of social media for a well-informed life.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024, held on 16 June 2024. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.