Read the excerpt from a text about the impact of technology and media. Which sentence is the author’s thesis statement? Thanks to rapid technological advancements and an influx of media, Americans have become connected in ways not thought possible in the past. (Film, television, newspapers, social media, and the Internet have all contributed to creating a highly connected global community.)(This web of communication has vastly expanded our understanding of cultures and practices that many of us have not been privy to before.) It's through this new and ever-expanding network of communication that we can instantly access news and events happening around the world, making us more knowledgeable about global affairs and various cultural beliefs and practices.

(This expanded network is not without its limitations.) Often forgotten is the fact that the information we receive has been filtered through and shaped by reporters, bloggers, news corporations, editors, and many other entities, which limits our perceptions of the global community. The shaping of perspectives is sometimes subtle and other times clearly biased and highly structured. (This type of information manipulation becomes destructive when it begins to shape our opinions, perceptions, and belief systems, especially concerning other cultures in our global community.)