Question

assignment in progress for 2025 p.7. s. 107. dev la 1 esol courseno. 100238 11, 12, 13, 14:7
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 doesnt see many
posts from conservatives, he admits.
facebook’s software may be reinforcing his tendency to only see links from people he
read aloud annotate translate
assessment questions
1 2 3 4

1. what connection does the author draw between facebook

and one’s personal views in the article?
○ a. the author points out that facebook allows people
to explore new ideas and engage in discussions with
strangers.
○ b. the author discusses how someone’s personal
facebook profile is shaped by their ability to “like” a post.
○ c. the author talks about how facebook fails to actually
grow one’s social circle because most people are “friends”
with people whom they know in real life.
○ d. the author explains how facebook caters towards a
person’s interests and social circles, reinforcing their
established views.
social media by martin gysler is licensed
under cc by - nc - sa 2.0.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The article states social networks may limit new social experiences, so exploring new ideas with strangers is incorrect.
• Option B: The passage doesn't discuss "liking" posts shaping profiles.
• Option C: The focus is on reinforcing views, not just the size of the social circle.
• Option D: The example of Aikens (friends share his views, newsfeed reflects that) and the idea of reinforcing existing views matches this. The text also mentions social networks may reinforce biases, which aligns with Facebook catering to interests and reinforcing established views.

Answer:

D. The author explains how Facebook caters towards a person’s interests and social circles, reinforcing their established views.