When reading an article/post/blog, do you:
skim strategically and move on;
deep dive and cross reference;
scroll immediately to the comments;
some/all of the above
I’m generally 1 or 3, with bouts of 2/4. Classic form of someone who perpetually keeps options open.
Yet my attention is invariably siphoned toward the feedback aisles. Those indignant retorts, questionable arguments and weird digressions. People are so aggressive! Also wildly tangential. Non sequiturs are particularly entertaining. It’s like stream of consciousness with a dollop of salsa picante. All the thoughts and feels, plus raging rants that inexorably snuff themselves out.
My fascination? How easily people express their biases and baggage. Commentary used to be a forum for debating issues and injecting diverse, factual perspectives. Or sharing a humorous anecdote that bolsters/challenges what’s been articulated. Now they act as a social fire hose. Civil discourse has become ideological anarchy. A hot mess.
I’m horrified and intrigued in equal measure.
Clearly, it is never OK to speak or publish hateful, violent, bigoted, discriminatory words of any kind. And though the majority of verbal volleys I encounter aren’t overtly egregious, they’re too often bitter, resentful +/or factually offside. Not to mention the twisted tongue tangos that ensue when two commenters take their specious arguments down a rabbit hole. Ugh.
Kids, if you don’t have anything constructive to say…
So how about a comment penalty box? Two minutes for being rude. Same when you’re offside, out of bounds or unnecessarily truculent. Five minutes if you start an unprovoked fight. Communication misconduct gets you suspended from the platform…
You get the idea. Play nice and fair (@the very least, with integrity) or expect a time out. Content moderation is important, but so is community engagement. If you read something gross, say something. Advocating for progressive, inclusive discourse takes a village.
As Kara Swisher opines, “enragement equals engagement.” How right she is…and how sad. When you read feedback that digs deep - be it thoughtful praise, formative criticism or imaginative suggestion - a measure of social enrichment occurs. The collective discourse is amplified and strengthened. We learn something…about ourselves, the world, and the sublime power of nuanced, affirmative interpretation.
Life is tough enough without the haters shouting into the void. Friends: please influence through compassionate channels and walk away from angry tirades. Be the voice of better, not bitter.