Not every voice on the internet commands the same kind of audience.
When anonymous private entities with high capital can pay for more space for their opinions, they are effectively buying a louder voice. If political discourse in the digital sphere is a matter of outshining one’s opponent till the election is won, then the quality of politics suffers. The focus of social media is restricted to the promotion of content that generates more user engagement, regardless of how inflammatory the content may be.
Q1. 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.
c) Social media have been created to strengthen democracies.
d) In today’s world, social media are inevitable for well-informed social life.
Correct answer: b) Social media are not ideal or moral institutions but the products built by companies to make profits.
Q2. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Internet is not inclusive enough.
2. Internet can adversely affect the quality of politics in a country.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer: c) Both 1 and 2
Question from UPSC Prelims 2024 CSAT Paper
To answer this question, let’s analyze the key points made in the passage:
1. Not all voices on the internet have equal reach or influence.
2. Wealthy entities can effectively buy a louder voice by paying for more space for their opinions.
3. Political discourse in the digital sphere is focused on outshining opponents rather than quality.
4. Social media prioritizes content that generates user engagement, even if it’s inflammatory.
The central idea of this passage is critiquing the current state of social media and its impact on political discourse. It highlights the inequality in voice amplification and the focus on engagement over quality of content.
Explanation Q1:
Now, let’s evaluate each option:
a) This option focuses on access to information, which is not the main point of the passage.
b) This option aligns closely with the passage’s central idea, emphasizing that social media platforms are profit-driven rather than ideal institutions for discourse.
c) This is contrary to the passage’s message, which suggests social media may be harming rather than strengthening democracies.
d) The passage doesn’t suggest that social media is inevitable or necessary for a well-informed social life.
Based on this analysis, the statement that best reflects the central idea of the passage is: b) Social media are not ideal or moral institutions but the products built by companies to make profits.
Explanation Q2:
Let’s analyze each assumption based on the information provided in the passage:
1. “Internet is not inclusive enough.”
This assumption is supported by the passage. The text states: “Not every voice on the internet commands the same kind of audience. When anonymous private entities with high capital can pay for more space for their opinions, they are effectively buying a louder voice.” This implies that the internet, particularly in the context of social media and political discourse, favors those with more financial resources. It suggests that not all voices have equal representation or reach, supporting the assumption that the internet is not fully inclusive.
2. “Internet can adversely affect the quality of politics in a country.”
This assumption is also supported by the passage. The text mentions: “If political discourse in the digital sphere is a matter of outshining one’s opponent till the election is won, then the quality of politics suffers.” Additionally, it states: “The focus of social media is restricted to the promotion of content that generates more user engagement, regardless of how inflammatory the content may be.” Both these statements suggest that internet-based political discourse, especially on social media, can negatively impact the quality of politics by prioritizing attention-grabbing content over substantive debate.
Given this analysis, we can conclude that both assumptions are valid based on the information provided in the passage.
Therefore, the correct answer is: c) Both 1 and 2