Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the above passage?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Social media are not ideal or moral institutions but the products built by companies to make profits.
The passage says money buys a louder voice and that social media promote whatever drives user engagement, however inflammatory. Its central idea is that these platforms work as profit-driven products, not as neutral or moral institutions.
- ✗ (a) The passage denies a level marketplace (‘Not every voice on the internet commands the same kind of audience’) and says nothing about instant access to information.
- ✓ (b) Entities with high capital buy ‘a louder voice’, and the platforms focus on content that ‘generates more user engagement, regardless of how inflammatory’. This is the logic of a product built for profit, not of a moral institution.
- ✗ (c) The passage says the quality of politics suffers; it never claims that social media were created to strengthen democracy.
- ✗ (d) The passage does not argue that social media are inevitable or needed for a well-informed life; its tone is critical.
Remember · The central idea must cover the whole passage and match its tone; a critical passage rules out options that praise.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·