Read the following passage and answer the questions based on the passage : The…

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 primary democratic function does social media serve, as per the paragraph?