NPR – National
Public Radio – recently announced that it would no longer accept comments on
its website (NPR.org). If you, like me, either don’t know what a Comments
section is, don’t read them, or don’t understand the point of such an arena,
this decision may not be of much significance. As an educator, however, I feel
compelled to celebrate it. One might argue, as one Commenter did, that this
decision “suppresses free speech.” First Amendment experts, however, would
chortle at this tortured interpretation of the right to free speech since – as
is true of the entire Bill of Rights – the intent has always been to prevent
our elected government from hampering
the people’s right to speak, to assemble, to worship; well, you get the
idea.
I celebrate this decision because
an unintended consequence of a Comments section on any website in which people
can post anonymously is incivility. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post
had this to say about the typical Commenter on his Blog: “It’s the loudest,
often most obnoxious person in the room with the most time to dedicate” who
dominates the Comments section. One
could, I suppose, still argue: “Isn’t that an inevitable by-product of free
speech?” Yes, but free speech is protected so that the government won’t go
after an identifiable person promoting an unpopular opinion – by its very
nature anonymity enjoys its own protection. And, it’s the anonymity of uncivil
comments which concerns me.
At La Salle, we spend an enormous
amount of time and energy teaching the students entrusted to our care healthy
ways of interacting with each other and with adults. A central component of
that objective falls under the heading of “civil discourse.” Whether it’s in
the classroom, on stage or on the playing field, we expect our students to
understand that there is a right way – and a wrong way – to disagree…and there
are penalties for choosing the wrong way. Penalties exist because – as any
parent knows – teenagers need to learn how to observe boundaries between
appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. And, while one could argue that
positive reinforcement is always preferred over negative reinforcement, we need
to remind ourselves that there is a reason why we adults try to avoid getting a
speeding ticket on the 210 Freeway. Anonymous Commenters have no “down side” boundary
maintenance for their obnoxious behavior; and, in the absence of negative
reinforcement, they are passively encouraged to continue their inappropriate
statements. Here’s why this ought to be a compelling concern: one Commenter on
the NPR.org website, for example, had – over time - posted over 32,000 comments
(I can’t imagine how one could possibly have that much available time to do
that).
I worry about this because we
only have four years (parents have, roughly, 22 years) to inculcate in our
students a respect for the other – no matter what opinion he or she holds. I’ve
noted in this space and elsewhere that the college experience for young people
has witnessed a tsunami of political correctness, so much so, that highly
regarded professors have been subjected to humiliating shouting matches from
people half their age. Ironically, the older I get the more sensitive I become
to the acquired wisdom of my elders. I
wish I could have acquired that sensitivity decades ago.
That having been said, I
recognize, now, that it is incumbent upon my generation to take responsibility
for educating the next generation with respect to the negotiation of the
boundaries of acceptable discourse. The problem lies in the inescapable fact
that the Internet can undermine every positive lesson in support of civil
discourse we seek to share with young people. Therefore, it becomes all the
more pressing that we adults “double down” on our responsibility to teach our
children the necessary importance of
developing a respect for all persons…one of the Five Core Principles of a Lasallian
School.
While it is tempting to throw up
our hands and conclude that the task is enormous and beyond our capabilities - that
would be a mistake. Adults know – all too often through the School of Hard
Knocks – that abandoning the enforcement of principles means abandoning our
principles as well. La Salle exists, in part, to reinforce at school the values
parents seek to instill in their children at home. Together, we can make a
stand in favor of civil discourse, not only by establishing the principle, but
also by reinforcing and enforcing
it. Our young people grew up on easy access to Social Media. Let’s make sure
they understand how to use it properly.
