\begin{tabular}{l} The role of social media in shaping public opinion cannot be underestimated. Platforms like \ Twitter and Facebook have become arenas for political discourse, allowing individuals to share \ their perspectives on global events. However, this accessibility comes with challenges, \ including the rapid spread of misinformation. A 2018 study by the MIT Media Lab found that \ false news stories are $$ 70 \% $$ more likely to be retweeted than accurate ones, primarily because \ misinformation often evokes stronger emotional reactions. The implications are profound: a \ poorly informed populace can undermine democratic processes by making decisions based on \ false premises. \ What is the main idea of the passage? \ O Social media is exclusively beneficial for political discourse. \ O Misinformation spreads faster on social media than accurate news. \ O Social media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion but poses challenges. \ \hline Emotional reactions on social media have no effect on misinformation. \end{tabular}

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1. **Identify the focus of the passage:**  
   The passage discusses how platforms like Twitter and Facebook influence public opinion by allowing political discourse, while also highlighting the challenges such as the spread of misinformation.

2. **Examine the evidence provided:**  
   The passage mentions that a 2018 MIT Media Lab study found that false news stories are $$70\%$$ more likely to be retweeted than accurate ones because they often evoke stronger emotional reactions. This supports the idea that, despite the benefits of social media, there are significant challenges.

3. **Evaluate the answer choices:**  
   - "Social media is exclusively beneficial for political discourse."  
     *Incorrect:* The passage shows both benefits and drawbacks.  
   - "Misinformation spreads faster on social media than accurate news."  
     *Partially correct:* This is a detail mentioned in the passage but does not capture its full main idea.  
   - "Social media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion but poses challenges."  
     *Correct:* This summarizes both the influence and the challenges of social media described in the passage.  
   - "Emotional reactions on social media have no effect on misinformation."  
     *Incorrect:* The passage indicates the opposite, noting that strong emotional reactions contribute to the spread of misinformation.

4. **Conclusion:**  
   The main idea of the passage is that $$ \textbf{social media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion but also poses challenges.} $$

$$
\boxed{\text{Social media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion but poses challenges.}}
$$
Social media significantly shapes public opinion but also poses challenges, especially with the spread of misinformation.

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