Question

the text below is from an article about social media. which of these sources would provide the most effective contrast to it?

an opinion piece in a newspaper
a tweet from a social media user
an authorised biography of a social media companys owner
the user policy of a social media site

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 source text's perspective and tone

The provided text is highly critical of social media. It highlights negative "anti-social effects" (anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, compulsive behavior) and accuses social media sites of "spying on us" and selling personal data to manipulate shopping habits and votes. The tone is subjective, alarming, and persuasive.

Evaluate the options for the most effective contrast

To provide the most effective contrast to this highly critical, subjective opinion piece, we need a source that is objective, formal, and neutral.

• An opinion piece in a newspaper: Likely to be another subjective, opinionated article, which does not offer a strong structural or objective contrast.
• A tweet from a social media user: Highly informal and subjective.
• An authorised biography of a social media company's owner: Likely to be biased or narrative-focused.
• The user policy of a social media site: This is a formal, legal, objective, and neutral document outlining rules, terms, and data usage policies from the platform's perspective. It provides a direct, objective contrast to the emotional and critical claims made in the article.

Answer:

• An opinion piece in a newspaper
• A tweet from a social media user
• An authorised biography of a social media company's owner
• The user policy of a social media site (Correct answer)