Describe the situation presented in the excerpt.

Analyze how Alice’s emotional state is presented. Focus on the use of language and its effect.

or

Alice is at home by herself, spending much of her time on her electronic device. For a long period, she has closely followed the social media posts of Mizuko, a Japanese writer living in New York. When Mizuko’s updates suddenly stop appearing, Alice decides to unfollow her, assuming she will still be able to view the public profile. However, she soon realises that Mizuko’s account settings have changed and that she no longer has access to the previously open content.

Alice begins to search for information in other ways. She tries to find Mizuko’s posts through her friends’ accounts but fails to discover anything. Eventually, she attempts to reverse her decision and sends a new follow request. While waiting for approval, she constantly checks the status of her request and monitors her device for any sign of activity. Her preoccupation becomes so strong that she sometimes imagines seeing changes on Mizuko’s account and even dreams about encountering her in the city.

Later, Alice goes to the building where Mizuko lives. There, the doorman informs her that Mizuko has been taken to hospital with a serious illness, which began with flu-like symptoms but turned out to be caused by a parasite in her brain.

Alice’s emotional state in the excerpt is one of obsession, despair, and helplessness, and this is conveyed through deliberate language choices and imagery. To begin with, words related to time, such as “little to suggest that time was passing” (l. 17) and “the time spent waiting for her to approve my request passed impossibly slowly” (ll. 35f.), highlight her impatience and inability to move on. Moreover, references to “long hours” (l. 38) further emphasise her fixation. In addition, negative terms like “alarmed” (l. 8), “disorienting” (l. 16), and “tormented” (l. 18) show how deeply she depends on Mizuko’s online presence as a point of stability.

Furthermore, the imagery of exclusion — “locked out” (l. 14), “padlock symbol” (l. 15), “lock” (l. 26) — symbolises her emotional paralysis. At the same time, disease and death metaphors, such as “fever” (l. 1), “bright hospital white” (l. 19), “corpse” (l. 49), and “headstone” (l. 58), intensify both her anxiety about Mizuko and her sense of loss. Consequently, words like “defeat” (l. 34) and “useless” (l. 38) convey frustration and resignation.

What is more, stylistic devices also reflect her state of mind. The superlative “the smallest detail of any given day” (ll. 2f.) illustrates her extreme fixation. Similarly, the repeated “wall” (ll. 14, 20, 26, 40, 50) becomes a recurring symbol of separation and isolation. Likewise, the metaphor “my mind pinballed through possible encounters” (l. 62) captures her restless preoccupation, while imagery like “tortured myself with grim fantasies” (l. 39) conveys her self-destructive thoughts. In addition, a long alliterative phrase — “imagined liquefying them, creating a hydraulic system…” (ll. 54f.) — emphasises her obsessive desire to re-establish contact.

Equally, similes further evoke her distress: “felt more like lying beside a corpse for comfort” (ll. 48f.) suggests an irretrievable loss, while “a sign of life, like steam on a mirror” (l. 57) shows her clinging to fragile, imagined hope. In contrast, the opposition between “once white” and “now an arresting grey” (l. 41) reflects how drastically her emotional world has changed. Moreover, short and elliptical constructions like “Unfollow” (l. 6) give weight to her actions, while anaphora in “No news of her mornings or meals, no filtered sunsets or stars” (ll. 17f.) underlines her disappointment at the absence of updates. Finally, the conditional “If I managed to fall asleep” (l. 62) hints at how her obsession disrupts her sleep and affects her physical well-being.

All in all, through these techniques, the text vividly portrays Alice’s obsessive longing, her emotional instability, and the depth of her dependence on Mizuko’s virtual presence.

Social media has a significant influence on personal lives, both in positive and negative ways. One major advantage is its ability to connect people regardless of distance or geographical barriers. It allows individuals to share aspects of their lives and learn about others’ daily experiences. In the excerpt from Sympathy, Alice closely follows Mizuko’s posts, which give shape to her new life in New York. Similarly, in seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Cleo uses Twitter to share her views and reach a wide audience. Social media also provides easy access to information and ideas, enabling users to discover new perspectives.

It has also transformed communication by making it more dynamic and interactive. Online tools, such as memes, are used to convey ideas in a fast and engaging way, as seen in seven methods of killing kylie jenner, where Cleo’s posts receive instant reactions and invite responses. Social media enables people to create digital personas and carefully curate their online identities. Mizuko’s profile is an example of a crafted online presence, while Cleo adopts her bold alter ego INCOGNEGRO.

However, social media can have a strong impact on mental health. It can provide encouragement and a sense of stability — for Alice, Mizuko’s posts act as an anchor; for Cleo, Twitter offers a space where she feels heard. Yet excessive use can reduce offline activities, as seen in Alice’s fixation, which keeps her confined to her home. The fear of missing out (FOMO) and pressure to stay updated are also evident when Alice becomes anxious about Mizuko’s sudden absence. Exposure to curated images and stories can create unrealistic expectations and fuel harmful comparisons.

In conclusion, social media can be a powerful tool for connection, self-expression, and communication, but it can also intensify dependence, anxiety, and privacy risks. As the examples from Sympathy and seven methods of killing kylie jenner show, its influence on personal lives is profound and often double-edged, requiring careful and conscious use.

Social Media vs. Traditional News – Finding a Balance

The cartoon suggests that information from social media platforms like Google or Facebook may be incomplete or unreliable, while traditional newspapers tend to be more in-depth and trustworthy. This raises an important question: should we rely on social media for news, or do we still need traditional media to get the full picture?

One of the key benefits of social media is speed. Platforms can deliver breaking news within seconds, allowing people to stay updated in real time. Social media also gives access to multiple perspectives, often from different parts of the world, and offers customised content tailored to users’ interests. This can make news consumption more engaging and efficient. Furthermore, user-generated content, such as photos or videos from eyewitnesses, can complement professional reporting, offering a broader view of events. The interactive nature of social media also allows users to comment, share, and discuss news, fostering community engagement.

However, there are also clear dangers. Personalised news feeds can create “filter bubbles,” where users only see information that reinforces their existing beliefs, which can polarise public opinion. The lack of editorial oversight makes it easier for false or incomplete information to spread quickly, causing confusion or even harm. Social media can also be used for orchestrated campaigns, such as election interference or fearmongering, manipulating public opinion on a large scale. In addition, platforms collect vast amounts of personal data, raising serious privacy concerns if this data is misused or leaked.

In conclusion, social media can be a powerful tool for staying informed, but it is not without risks. The best approach is to use it alongside traditional media, which offers more thorough research and editorial control. By combining both, we can enjoy the immediacy and diversity of online news while maintaining the depth and reliability of established journalism.