I admit that my question is related to the recent and tragic Arizona shootings, but it is not limited to it. I feel that we are living in an era where people feel that the ability to freely and quickly communicate, often anonymously. gives them a right to insult, attack, threaten, and verbally assault other people online. This is not simply a phenomenon inspired or even perpetrated by a few "bad apples." To a great extent it is becoming common among all Internet users. We seem to have removed ourselves from the mores and norms of civility that often characterized "real world" interactions. Just a few examples:
In the real world:
People would not hurl insults indiscriminately and without self censorship in instances of petty squabbles and political disagreements. Or, at least, they would limit such.
On the Internet:
It is all too common to hurl insults at your opponent. And the insults fly for the most minor things. I've seen people endlessly attack each other because of a disagreement about a minor fact in a film, or a minor difference of opinion about an obscure fact.
I do think that the media to some degree encourages this. Not to specifically bring in Fox News or MSNBC or any other "political" network. But the fact that news is no longer processed and thought through means that otherwise poorly educated, and poorly equipped, individuals are placed on the same level of debate as those who are educated. An educated Congresswoman is on the same "level" of sorts as a nutjob loser (yes I am using an insult here), thereby taking the level of discourse to the proverbial lowest common denominator. The result of this is that educated persons have to devote increasingly lengthy amount of time to discussing and debating with the stupid and ignorant in society, as opposed to spending time debating with the well informed and well versed. The Tea Party movement has brought to the table some educated and reasoned arguments about our political system. But it has also brought with it this kind of baggage.
In the real world:
People would not hurl insults indiscriminately and without self censorship in instances of petty squabbles and political disagreements. Or, at least, they would limit such.
On the Internet:
It is all too common to hurl insults at your opponent. And the insults fly for the most minor things. I've seen people endlessly attack each other because of a disagreement about a minor fact in a film, or a minor difference of opinion about an obscure fact.
I do think that the media to some degree encourages this. Not to specifically bring in Fox News or MSNBC or any other "political" network. But the fact that news is no longer processed and thought through means that otherwise poorly educated, and poorly equipped, individuals are placed on the same level of debate as those who are educated. An educated Congresswoman is on the same "level" of sorts as a nutjob loser (yes I am using an insult here), thereby taking the level of discourse to the proverbial lowest common denominator. The result of this is that educated persons have to devote increasingly lengthy amount of time to discussing and debating with the stupid and ignorant in society, as opposed to spending time debating with the well informed and well versed. The Tea Party movement has brought to the table some educated and reasoned arguments about our political system. But it has also brought with it this kind of baggage.