At the risk of sounding like an elitist, I believe that a health examination of public life and the public
sphere in contemporary America—specifically news outlets and social media
sites—leads to a disturbing diagnosis: they are both plagued by disease and are in
need of serious remedy. Whether
analyzing the diarrhea known as Twitter, the constipation of the dread
“comments” section, the high blood pressure of news outlets such as Fox and
MSNBC, or the diabetes of the overfed mass of blogs, the productive discourse
once propelled by the public sphere has become an infectious zone littered with
personal opinions either lacking in background knowledge or influenced by fake
news. Perhaps with proper medication and mindful exercise the health of the
public sphere will improve, but the participants must first acknowledge their
illness and strive for healing.
Firstly, can the soundbites of 140 character tweets and
similar posts really be considered discourse?
Rather than promoting stimulating ideas leading to further discussion
and debate, such tweets actually elicit emotional responses often fueled by
anger, resentment, and excitement, dangerous elements for productive
conversation. What pertinent background information gets lost with verbally
sparse posts? How many people know the true facts behind the soundbite, and how
easy is it to skew the facts with only 140 characters? Tweets seldom lead to education regarding a
particular topic, but they do lead to enflamed emotions. And studies indicate
that most people scan longer posts without actually reading in their entirety,
so even when posters do provide pertinent details regarding their topics, those
details are probably ignored. Unfortunately, the conversation is rarely
elevated by readers’ comments.
Allowing followers of social media to comment on the
posts of others sounds like a strong platform for discourse, and in some
instances that is the case, but for many followers, commenting on posts becomes
a personal platform for hateful, irrational, and despicable hatred and
ignorance. Due to the anonymity of online spheres, commentators feel emboldened
to give remarks they most likely would keep to themselves in actual
conversations. Again, the idea of
productive debate gets lost, and the discussion stagnates when online
commentators can so easily get away with this sort of bad behavior. More often
than not the comments section becomes a rabbit hole of wasted time.
Certain news outlets surely bear responsibility for
the demise of public discourse. When a media outlet irresponsibly spreads fake
news, uninformed bloggers use the misinformation with little regard for
accuracy. Trying to sort reputable sites from less than trustworthy ones is no
easy feat, and gullible readers are easily manipulated into believing fake news
and faulty opinions with little regard to inherent bias. Once again, online
public spheres cater to an individual or group view with no interest in
engaging in open-minded dialogue.
That online information can be spread quickly and
widely could be a great tool for public discourse. Ideas can be bridged literally from anywhere
in the world, allowing for anyone with online access the chance to participate
in discourse. Social media can be an excellent avenue for public discourse if
the users are knowledgeable and tolerant of the opinions of others. But those reputable participants have been
overshadowed by too many folks that don't take the time to educate themselves on the issues they discuss. Rather than creating avenues of discourse, online public spheres
currently serve to increase the current political polarization in America.
Until individuals are willing to educate themselves on all sides of public
issues, even subaltern spheres with the noblest plans to bring about positive
change have no hope of success.
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