[jcp123]

The other part of the problem is talking about serious issues - politics being but one of many - over the internet. Without the subtleties of intonation and body language, it’s easy both to convey the wrong intent and to misinterpret intent. Layer onto that the relative anonymity, and boom! It’s no wonder we’ve kinda gone off the rails. Political discourse is a great example of how the richness of the internet and social media has actually turned important public discussions into low-resolution caricatures of mature discussion, home to a lot of bomb-throwing rhetoric, tribalism, and vitriolic rancor.