Online Arguments
It's no surprise that most people will end up in some sort of argument in the online atmosphere. Most of us can likely think of at least one argument that we've participated in online. These arguments are just like arguments in real life, with the exception that everybody gets to hide behind a screen while they argue. This typically means that the arguments very quickly become hostile and mean spirited. This typically results in multiple people saying many things that they would never say in person. All in all, we can see that online arguments are a waste of time and typically result in everyone feeling worse than they did before. Regardless, we also know that no one is going to just stop arguing online because of this, so what is the best way to argue online? To answer that we need to look at an online argument. To source this argument, I went to reddit, scrolled down a few threads until I found an opinion stated online, after that, it was very easy to find an argument happening under that post.
For context the original argument has to do with a football player by the name of Sauce Gardner, who has been very talented at his position for the last few years. This year in particular, he has not been playing to the same standards at which he has played in years before. The reason I chose this particular argument, is due to the fact that it symbolizes how easily it is to argue about anything online. This particular argument won't get either of these people anywhere in life, and they'll both be worse off after this argument. This point is amplified by the fact that this argument is happening due to an opinion being stated, therefore any answer or reasoning you may have, is also deeply rooted in opinions.
As for my concerns in this argument, the biggest concern I have is how quickly it turns into a competition of insults. We can see that by the third comment, we have already reached insults being thrown around. Secondly, they are arguing about their own opinions, neither of which are right or wrong, because they are opinions at their core. Lastly, this argument becomes twice removed since they are arguing about their opinions about a separate persons work ethic. If they were arguing about their own work ethic, that would be one thing, but they are arguing about the work ethic of a person they only ever see on TV for a very brief amount of time. All in all, this argument is a waste of time and energy for both parties.
Now, in my opinion nearly all of online arguments are just a waste of time for either party, but there needs to be a better way to structure an online argument. So the following are my five rules to arguing online.
- Be Civil
- The person you are arguing with is a person at the end of the day, just because you are talking behind a screen doesn't mean you can be rude/hateful.
- Consider If It's Worth it
- Is it really worth it to argue with this person? They are likely not going to change their mind about their stance.
- Opinion or Fact
- As in all arguments, your evidence needs to come from a source, so make sure the claims you're making are facts and not opinions, as opinions are different for everyone.
- Be Open
- You cant walk into an argument (or worse, instigate an argument) if you aren't willing to listen to what the other side has to say. No one is saying you need to change your mind by the end of the argument, but you need to be open to new information.
- Dont Invest Too Much Energy
- If it comes to a point, which it very likely will, where it is clear that the argument isn't going anywhere, just stop responding. The biggest tool you have is that you can walk away no questions asked.
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