Question

which of these aspects does the writer chiefly emphasise?

• the criminal nature of the social media spying.
• the health risks of using social media.
• the number of young people using social media.
• the sleeplessness that social media causes.

whos watching you?

social media has been with us for less than two decades, yet its anti-social effects - from anxiety and depression to sleeplessness and compulsive behaviour - are becoming obvious. worse, more than 90% of 18 to 24-year-olds spend an average of 2 hours every day (equivalent to an entire month per year without sleep) on social media sites, with some doctors now so concerned that theyve called for social media to come with film-like age restrictions or be labelled with stark warnings similar to those on cigarette packets.

to make matters worse, its now emerged that these same sites have been spying on us and raking in vast profits by selling our personal data to secretive organisations intent on manipulating everything from our shopping habits to our votes.

Explanation:

Analyze the question and options

The question asks which aspect the writer chiefly emphasizes. The options are:

1. The criminal nature of the social media spying.
2. The number of young people using social media.
3. The health risks of using social media.
4. The sleeplessness that social media causes.

Examine the text for evidence

Using Textual Evidence, we analyze the two paragraphs:

• The first paragraph focuses on "anti-social effects" such as anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and compulsive behavior. It mentions doctors comparing social media to cigarette packets due to these health-related concerns.
• The second paragraph introduces spying and data selling ("To make matters worse...").
• While sleeplessness and spying are mentioned, they are specific sub-points. The overall primary focus of the first paragraph, which contains the bulk of the text and comparisons to health warnings on cigarette packets, is the broader category of health risks (mental and physical).

Evaluate the options

• "The criminal nature of the social media spying" is only mentioned briefly in the second paragraph.
• "The number of young people using social media" is not the main focus; the text only mentions the percentage of 18 to 24-year-olds to highlight usage density.
• "The sleeplessness that social media causes" is a specific symptom listed under the broader "anti-social effects."
• "The health risks of using social media" encompasses anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, compulsive behavior, and the comparison to cigarette health warnings, making it the chief emphasis.

Answer:

• The criminal nature of the social media spying.
• The number of young people using social media.
• The health risks of using social media. (Correct answer)
• The sleeplessness that social media causes.