Question

Part A
Which of the following best states the author’s claim in Selection 1?
A. Social media is useful for maintaining friendships, but it has its drawbacks as well.
B. People should put emphasis on in-person relationships rather than social media, which causes isolation.
C. Social media should be entirely abolished from all households as a result of the feelings of isolation it causes.
D. People should take up hobbies, learn new skills, or play board games to distract themselves from social media.

It is estimated that five billion people used social media in 2023. That’s five billion people who could have been volunteering, spending time with loved ones, or helping their neighbors instead of staring at a screen. It is past time that people started focusing on in-person relationships and stopped relying on social media, which only worsens the problem of isolation.
2 Social media is often celebrated as a way for people to connect with each other. However, if that were truly the case, people would be less lonely. In fact, the opposite is true. Loneliness is becoming a bigger problem, and social media has a lot to do with it. Loneliness and isolation can contribute to a host of health problems, including heart disease, strokes, and dementia. People who are lonely also tend to have shorter lifespans than people with strong connections to others.
3 So, what is the link between social media and loneliness? In the past, people used to join teams and leagues. They met each other to go to dinner or the movies. They invited friends over to chat or play board games and took classes to learn a new skill or hobby. But these kinds of face-to-face interactions have gradually become less common. Now, people don’t need to leave their homes to socialize with others. Instead, they can “meet” on social media.
4 Yet, social media has become more like a prison than a party. People can’t escape from checking their social media accounts. They feel the need to constantly monitor whether someone has liked or commented on their posts. This is the case even when people are with others. How many times have you seen a group of people sitting together, checking their phones instead of talking to each other?
5 What is the solution to this dilemma, then? It’s not likely that social media will ever go away, but maybe we can all make a greater effort to truly spend time together. Let’s decide to lift our faces up and put our phones down for our own health and that of others.

Selection 2: Social Media Brings People Together

1 Social media has done a better job of bringing people together in the twenty-first century than nearly anything else has. It allows friends, relatives, and classmates to connect—or reconnect—with each other. Even total strangers living thousands of miles apart can engage in meaningful ways, all thanks to social media.
2 In 2023, about five billion people worldwide were using social media of some kind. This shows the power and influence that the medium has. It also demonstrates the connections that people have made on social media. After all, what are these five billion people doing if not engaging with one another?

Answer 1

B. The author argues that social media worsens isolation and people should focus on in-person relationships instead of relying on social media.