SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 16 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage :
The proliferation of social media has fundamentally transformed the democratic landscape, acting both as a catalyst for civic engagement and a conduit for manipulation. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, once relegated to the domain of personal expression, now serve as powerful instruments of political discourse, enabling citizens to articulate opinions, mobilize for causes, and scrutinize authority in real-time. At its core, democracy thrives on the free flow of information, and social media ostensibly democratizes this process by dismantling traditional gatekeeping. Political leaders communicate directly with constituents, bypassing editorial filters, while grassroots movements harness virality to amplify marginalized voices. During critical events—be it elections, protests, or legislative debates—social media acts as a digital agora, fostering participatory dialogue that was once confined to town halls or print columns. However, this unprecedented openness is double-edged. The same platforms that disseminate truth can also propagate misinformation, polarize public opinion, and algorithmically reinforce ideological silos. Electoral interference through fake accounts, coordinated trolling, and the spread of disinformation campaigns have threatened electoral integrity in several democracies. Moreover, emotionally charged content, optimized for engagement rather than accuracy, often eclipses nuanced debate, reducing political discourse to a cacophony of outrage. The role of social media in democracy, therefore, is contingent not just on its technological architecture, but on the ethical frameworks governing its use. Regulatory oversight, media literacy, and algorithmic transparency are essential to harness its democratic potential while mitigating its subversive tendencies. In essence, social media is neither inherently virtuous nor inherently corrosive—it is a mirror of societal intent. Whether it becomes a pillar of democratic resilience or a tool of populist distortion depends largely on how it is wielded by citizens, institutions, and platforms alike.

What makes social media a double-edged tool in democratic societies?

(a)Its affordability
(b)Its visual design
(c)Its ability to spread both truth and misinformation
(d)Its international reach

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The passage uses the phrase itself: "However, this unprecedented openness is double-edged."

The next sentence gives both edges: "The same platforms that disseminate truth can also propagate misinformation, polarize public opinion, and algorithmically reinforce ideological silos."

Spreading truth and misinformation alike is option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Its affordability — Affordability is never mentioned. The double edge in the passage is about what the platforms spread, not what they cost.
(b)
Its visual design — Visual design is not discussed. Technological architecture appears only in the claim that social media's role depends on it and on ethics, not as its double edge.
(d)
Its international reach — International reach is not the point. The passage mentions threats to electoral integrity in several democracies, but the double edge is one platform spreading both truth and falsehood.

Concept

A double-edged tool helps and harms at once, like a blade sharpened on both sides.

The passage sets this up in its first sentence, where social media acts both as a catalyst for civic engagement and a conduit for manipulation. However then turns the passage from the benefits to the harms.

When a question borrows a phrase from the passage, find that phrase and read the sentence after it.

Options (a), (b) and (d) name things a reader might link to social media, but the passage never connects any of them to its double edge.

Key facts

Double-edged means having both good and bad effects.
Propagate means to spread widely.
A silo, used figuratively, is a group closed off from outside views.

Study next

Contrast signposts that turn a passage from benefits to harms: However, Yet, ButFigurative phrases in passages: double-edged, digital agora, a mirror of societal intentDetail questions that quote the passage's own words

Common traps

Choosing international reach because the passage mentions several democracies
Choosing visual design because the passage mentions technological architecture

The same passage carries English Q.15 to Q.19 of this shift. Q.18 is keyed to the remedy the author proposes for these harms, algorithmic transparency and media literacy.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Reading comprehension — all 128 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.

Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage :
The proliferation of social media has fundamentally transformed the democratic landscape, acting both as a catalyst for civic engagement and a conduit for manipulation. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, once relegated to the domain of personal expression, now serve as powerful instruments of political discourse, enabling citizens to articulate opinions, mobilize for causes, and scrutinize authority in real-time. At its core, democracy thrives on the free flow of information, and social media ostensibly democratizes this process by dismantling traditional gatekeeping. Political leaders communicate directly with constituents, bypassing editorial filters, while grassroots movements harness virality to amplify marginalized voices. During critical events—be it elections, protests, or legislative debates—social media acts as a digital agora, fostering participatory dialogue that was once confined to town halls or print columns. However, this unprecedented openness is double-edged. The same platforms that disseminate truth can also propagate misinformation, polarize public opinion, and algorithmically reinforce ideological silos. Electoral interference through fake accounts, coordinated trolling, and the spread of disinformation campaigns have threatened electoral integrity in several democracies. Moreover, emotionally charged content, optimized for engagement rather than accuracy, often eclipses nuanced debate, reducing political discourse to a cacophony of outrage. The role of social media in democracy, therefore, is contingent not just on its technological architecture, but on the ethical frameworks governing its use. Regulatory oversight, media literacy, and algorithmic transparency are essential to harness its democratic potential while mitigating its subversive tendencies. In essence, social media is neither inherently virtuous nor inherently corrosive—it is a mirror of societal intent. Whether it becomes a pillar of democratic resilience or a tool of populist distortion depends largely on how it is wielded by citizens, institutions, and platforms alike.