Online Arguments

        In today's day and age, arguments happen online 24/7. I see internet squabbles in almost every comment section, across multiple platforms of social media. People tend to argue more online than they do in person because being online offers a sense of anonymity that real life arguments do not. The facelessness of the internet allows people to say things to strangers online that they would not say to a stranger's face. Examples of this are fairly easy to find - you basically just need to turn to any social media post that is even the slightest bit controversial, and the people in the comment section will do all the work for you. For today's blog post, I turned to Instagram. 

The argument I chose is a comment thread of two users arguing back and forth about raw milk. I chose this topic because this is a hot button issue that I see debated a lot across the internet recently. 

These are some of the concerns that I have with this argument: 1. Neither party is backing their claims with any fact-based evidence; 2. Both parties are conversing in mainly sarcastic tones and are attempting to anger the other party; 3. Neither party actually wants to hear what the other party has to say on the issue. 

Internet arguements are very rarely productive, and usually involve two or more people simply trying to get under the skin of those who think differently than they do. Here are 5 rules that I think everyone should follow when they choose to make an argument online: 

        1. State your own opinions without attacking or insulting someone else's. 

Often, people online immediately turn to berating other's whose opinions differ from their own. It's important to remember that the people you are debating with are real people with real life experiences that vary from your own.

        2. Support your arguments with facts from reliable sources.

An argument without proof is pointless. If you don't have the facts and logic to back your claim, maybe you aren't the most qualified individual to be debating that topic.

        3. Stay on topic!

I often see people debating online, and the argument turns away from the main topic and just ends up being two people insulting each other back and forth. This is not a productive way of communicating your point, and can ultimately just end up driving the two parties farther apart.

        4. Ask questions to clarify the other person's point.

Most of the time when people participate in arguments online, they aren't looking to hear the other party's side of the story, and moreso just want to reiterate that what they think is the only correct way to think. Actively listening to the other person can really go a long way when it comes to finding common ground with one another.

        5.  It's okay to just let it go and keep scrolling.

You don't always have to get the last word in - or any word in, for that matter. Sometimes, people post things on the internet just to get a rise out of the other side (i.e., in politics). It can be better just to remove yourself from the situation/post entirely and protect your peace rather than try and talk sense into someone senseless.

Being kind to people who think differently than you, especially online, isn't always easy. It's important to remember to respect each other and to know when it's time to let things go instead of trying to convince others to think like you do. The internet is already negative and toxic enough - and there is no need to perpetuate that further.