There are a few things I’ve observed in the comments section of social media posts, particularly blog posts.
The first, is the relish with which the nameless and faceless insult those they wouldn’t be able to in real life. In some cases, those who know you but are envious of you also take advantage of the equal opportunity provided by social media, to make snide comments.
The second, is when some commenters leave the “root” of a conversation to begin an entirely new argument on the “branches”. In some cases, they progress to the “leaves” and even the veins of the leaves. After a while, it becomes difficult to make sense of the original point of the discussion. You see this a lot in the responses some people make to comments. Before you can say, “Jack Robinson”, an entire community forms underneath a few comments, discussing only God knows what.
Another thing I’ve noticed, is a tendency to focus on exceptions. For instance, someone begins begins a post on why it is good to have a source of income before marriage. Someone else says, “Not so”, because they know a lone couple they met 10 years ago who made it work without jobs. The conversation then turns to the exception when in fact, the presence of an exception supports the existence of a general rule.
I think that comments on a social media post are a privilege bestowed by the platform owner, not a right. The delete button exists for a reason. Comments are opinions. Instead of contesting for primacy of opinion on another’s platform, do the hard work of researching, articulating and publishing your opinion on your own platform. Then, invite your own audience to have a field day discussing it.
