Uncivil comments in a (supposedly) civil society

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.