Question

due december 13, 2025 at 11:59 pm
anti-social networks? were just as cliquey online
laura sydell • 2011
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for some people, online social networking sites help them make new friends and keep
in touch with old ones. for others, social networking sites may be reinforcing existing
biases and limits new social experiences.
as you read, identify the author’s claims about the influence of social media.
(1) social networks such as facebook and twitter
are helping people keep in touch with friends
and family. but just how social are those
networks? are internet communities simply
“real-world” cliques moved online?
dwayne aikens uses facebook to stay in
touch with people he already knows —
friends and family who, for the most part,
share his political views. aikens lives in
oakland, calif., and runs a nonprofit that
focuses on health and fitness.
“a lot of my friends are democrats and
liberals,” aikens says — and his facebook
newsfeed reflects that. he doesn’t see many
posts from conservatives, he admits.
facebook’s software may be reinforcing his tendency to only see links from people he
social media by martin gysler is licensed
under cc by-nc-sa 2.0.
assessment questions

1. part a: which of the following best describes a central

idea of the text?
a. the majority of people actively seek out others with
different or opposing views because they want to be
challenged about their ideas.

b. social media sites should be given more credit for
the power they hold, especially in the entertainment
industry.

c. due to the design of many social media platforms,
people are more likely to stay within their
eal life\ social
cliques and interest circles while online.

d. internet users should make a daily effort to reach
out to people outside of social media and meet in person.
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Explanation:

To determine the central idea, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The text doesn't suggest most people seek opposing views; instead, it implies people stay in their own circles. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The text focuses on how social media affects social interactions (cliques), not giving it credit in entertainment. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The text discusses how social media (like Facebook) reinforces existing social cliques and limits new experiences, matching the idea that people stay in their real - life social circles online.
• Option D: The text doesn't advocate for daily efforts to meet people outside social media; it's about the nature of social media's influence on social circles. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. Due to the design of many social media platforms, people are more likely to stay within their "real life" social cliques and interest circles while online.