Question

anti-social networks? were just as cliquey online
laura sydell • 2011
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.
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
agrees with. when facebook displays your “top news,” it’s guessing what you’re
interested in seeing based on how often you have clicked on a particular friend’s
entries in the past.
social media by martin gysler is licensed
under cc by-nc-sa 2.0.

1. \cell phones serve as the main entryway to the internet

for teens in low-income families without home computers
or broadband.\ how does this quote from
paragraph 9 contribute to the development of ideas in
the article?
a. young people are more likely to communicate on
their phones rather than talk to people face-to-face, which
limits them from having
eal world\ experiences.

b. mobile devices allow more people from different
backgrounds, such as teens from low-income families,
access to the internet and the ability to join online
discussions.

c. teens from lower-income families are less likely to
be spending time on the internet and thus gain more
valuable experiences with a wider range of people.

d. the internet is not as accessible as we think it is and
therefore should be free to everyone, regardless of
income or status.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The quote is about internet access via cell phones, not about limiting real - world experiences. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The quote says cell phones are the main internet entryway for teens in low - income families without home computers/broadband. This means mobile devices enable these teens (from different backgrounds) to access the internet and join online discussions. This matches the idea of expanding access.
• Option C: The quote implies these teens do access the internet via cell phones, so the claim that they are less likely to spend time on the internet is wrong. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The quote is about access via cell phones, not about making the internet free. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. Mobile devices allow more people from different backgrounds, such as teens from low - income families, access to the Internet and the ability to join online discussions.