Which collective side of learning became weaker due to technology in the story?

Sitting together and discussing

The story shows that technological learning is conducted privately and individually. Margie takes lessons at home from a mechanical teacher, so she does not sit beside classmates, exchange ideas, ask questions in a group, or share the ordinary experiences of a schoolroom. Therefore, option A is correct: sitting together and discussing becomes weaker. Option B is not a weakened collective activity; it describes the individual arrangement that technology creates. Option C is a technical action performed by the learner, not a collective learning experience. Option D refers to the medium used for reading and does not itself express social cooperation. The contrast with the old schools makes the point clear: technology may offer convenient personalised instruction, but it can reduce peer interaction, shared discovery, friendship, and the sense of belonging produced by a common classroom.

This is a Class 9 English question. Chapter: The Fun They Had. Topic: impact of technology.