This week, when considering online arguments, I decided to choose some found in the comment section of an NBC News Instagram post regarding the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial. More specifically, the announcement of his cleared charges. I wanted to evaluate these comments because they revolve around a very current, sensitive, and controversial topic in today's news. I knew there would be a lot of political quarrel, which often turns offensive and heated from both sides. And there was. Upon reading these comments I found multiple concerns and negative outcomes.
For starters, there was hardly any civility in the comment section of this post. It was a typical conservative versus liberal debate, but without any mediation. One of the main problems I saw were people bashing others based on disagreeing values. While I am all for owning your opinion, I do believe that insulting or using deprecating language towards someone of a different opinion is very concerning. I saw a lot of bold assumptions and accusatory statements made from both liberals and conservatives that ruined any chance of a peaceful online argument. Some of these examples are provided below. A negative that comes from this online argument is division between the population. People tend to have a lot of confidence behind the screen, which leads them to saying more bold and offensive statements. This could cause negatives in a person's personal life if a friend or employer of the opposing views saw their rude comment. Comments on the internet are also far more emotion based, which sometimes releases fake or exaggerated news. These all cause concerns within this case because it revolves around very sensitive topics in America such as racial discrimination or the protection of citizen rights.
While I believe in the right to free speech, I do believe there should be some rules in online arguments. They are as follows:
- No insulting language towards others in the argument. This includes name calling, stereotyping, and more.
- Do not use threatening language that could escalate an argument.
- Fact check your statements before you upload them.
- Keep the argument topic-based. Do not bring up outside controversies or events that are unrelated.
- Maintain civility and respect in online discussions through receptive language and open mindedness.
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