Comprehension
Direction for Reading Comprehension: The passages given here are followed by some questions that have four answer choices; read the passage carefully and pick the option whose answer best aligns with the passage
[There is] a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good. As more screens appear in the lives of the poor, screens are disappearing from the lives of the rich. The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen. . . .
The joy — at least at first — of the internet revolution was its democratic nature. Facebook is the same Facebook whether you are rich or poor. Gmail is the same Gmail. And it’s all free. There is something mass market and unappealing about that. And as studies show that time on these advertisement-support platforms is unhealthy, it all starts to seem déclassé, like drinking soda or smoking cigarettes, which wealthy people do less than poor people. The wealthy can afford to opt out of having their data and their attention sold as a product. The poor and middle class don’t have the same kind of resources to make that happen.
Screen exposure starts young. And children who spent more than two hours a day looking at a screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests, according to early results of a landmark study on brain development of more than 11,000 children that the National Institutes of Health is supporting. Most disturbingly, the study is finding that the brains of children who spend a lot of time on screens are different. For some kids, there is premature thinning of their cerebral cortex. In adults, one study found an association between screen time and depression. . . .
Tech companies worked hard to get public schools to buy into programs that required schools to have one laptop per student, arguing that it would better prepare children for their screenbased future. But this idea isn’t how the people who actually build the screenbased future raise their own children. In Silicon Valley, time on screens is increasingly seen as unhealthy. Here, the popular elementary school is the local Waldorf School, which promises a back-to nature, nearly screen-free education. So as wealthy kids are growing up with less screen time, poor kids are growing up with more. How comfortable someone is with human engagement could become a new class marker.
Human contact is, of course, not exactly like organic food . . . . But with screen time, there has been a concerted effort on the part of Silicon Valley behemoths to confuse the public. The poor and the middle class are told that screens are good and important for them and their children. There are fleets of psychologists and neuroscientists on staff at big tech companies working to hook eyes and minds to the screen as fast as possible and for as long as possible. And so human contact is rare. . . .
There is a small movement to pass a “right to disconnect” bill, which would allow workers to turn their phones off, but for now a worker can be punished for going offline and not being available. There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing isolation, in which so many of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are filling a crucial void.
Question: 1

The author is least likely to agree with the view that the increase in screen-time is fuelled by the fact that:

Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
  • there is a growth in computer-based teaching in public schools.
  • some workers face punitive action if they are not online.
  • with falling costs, people are streaming more content on their devices.
  • screens provide social contact in an increasingly isolating world.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The passage discusses the increasing screen-time in society and how it is perceived differently across socioeconomic classes. The wealthy are moving away from screens, while the poor and middle class are more entangled with screen exposure. The passage criticizes how society, especially public schools and tech companies, promotes screen usage as beneficial.

Let's analyze the options:
  1. There is a growth in computer-based teaching in public schools.
  2. Some workers face punitive action if they are not online.
  3. With falling costs, people are streaming more content on their devices.
  4. Screens provide social contact in an increasingly isolating world.

Explanation:
The passage suggests that screen-time is driven by societal pressures and systemic conditions rather than personal choices enabled by falling costs. Option 1 aligns with the passage's discussion of schools adopting more computer-based learning. Option 2 is supported by the mention of potential punitive actions for workers not being online, highlighting the necessity of screens for work. Option 4 emphasizes screens filling the void of diminishing social structures.

Conclusion: The correct answer is the least supported reason in the passage, which is
with falling costs, people are streaming more content on their devices.
This option is not discussed, as the passage focuses on institutional and systemic reasons for increased screen-time, rather than economic motivations.
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Question: 2

The author claims that Silicon Valley tech companies have tried to “confuse the public” by:

Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
  • promoting screen time in public schools while opting for a screen-free education for their own children.
  • pushing for greater privacy while working with advertisement-support platforms to mine data.
  • concealing the findings of psychologists and neuroscientists on screen-time use from the public.
  • developing new work-efficiency programmes while lobbying for the “right to disconnect” bill.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The question essentially revolves around understanding the claims made by the author about Silicon Valley tech companies and how they handle public perception regarding screen time. The comprehension passage suggests several key points about the inequality in screen time exposure between socio-economic classes:
  • The internet and tech platforms were initially celebrated for their democratic nature—being equally accessible to the rich and poor. However, this accessibility has created disparities as the wealthy can afford to reduce screen time, treating human interaction as a luxury.
  • Rich individuals invest more to disengage from screens because they can afford alternatives to screen-based technologies, which are marketed as essential tools for the poor and middle class.
  • The passage mentions studies showing the negative impact of excessive screen time on children's cognitive development and the neurological structure of their brains.
  • Tech companies promote the integration of screens in public education to prepare children for a digital future, despite their own preference for screen-free upbringing for their children.
  • There's an evident contradiction where those who create technological advancements tend to avoid them in their personal lives, choosing a different lifestyle for their children by sending them to schools that limit screen usage.
The author accuses Silicon Valley firms of attempting to obscure reality by promoting screen time in educational settings for the masses, yet choosing to raise their own children in environments with minimal screen exposure. This approach results in a potential class divide relating to comfort with personal interaction, which becomes an indicator of social status. Therefore, the correct answer is the first option:
Promoting screen time in public schools while opting for a screen-free education for their own children.
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Question: 3

The statement “The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen” is supported by which other line from the passage?

Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
  • “Gmail is the same Gmail. And it’s all free.”
  • “. . . screens are filling a crucial void.”
  • “How comfortable someone is with human engagement could become a new class marker.”
  • “. . . studies show that time on these advertisement-support platforms is unhealthy.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

"The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen."

Supporting Line from the Passage:

"How comfortable someone is with human engagement could become a new class marker."

Explanation:

This line directly supports the idea that **opting for real human interaction instead of screen-based experiences** is becoming a form of social distinction. The implication is that:

  • Those with more wealth can afford to avoid screens (e.g., hiring people instead of using apps, sending children to screen-free schools).
  • As a result, the **ability to be off-screen and engage personally** is becoming a privilege, marking a shift in how social class is perceived.

Other lines in the passage may reference screen usage or class, but this line uniquely ties **human engagement** and **class status**, making it the most fitting evidence.

Final Answer:

✅ The line: "How comfortable someone is with human engagement could become a new class marker."

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Question: 4

Which of the following statements about the negative effects of screen time is the author least likely to endorse?

Updated On: Jul 25, 2025
  • It is designed to be addictive.
  • It is shown to have adverse effects on young children’s learning.
  • It increases human contact as it fills an isolation void.
  • It can cause depression in viewers.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

To determine which statement the author is least likely to endorse regarding the negative effects of screen time, we must analyze the passage and evaluate each option in context:
  • Statement 1: "It is designed to be addictive." The passage mentions that tech companies employ psychologists and neuroscientists to make screen time addictive, supporting this statement.
  • Statement 2: "It is shown to have adverse effects on young children’s learning." The passage cites studies indicating that screen time negatively affects children's cognitive development, supporting this statement.
  • Statement 3: "It increases human contact as it fills an isolation void." The passage suggests that screens diminish human contact by creating more isolation, rather than increasing it, making the author least likely to endorse this statement.
  • Statement 4: "It can cause depression in viewers." The passage links screen time to depression in adults, supporting this statement.
Conclusively, the statement that the author is least likely to endorse is: "It increases human contact as it fills an isolation void."
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