Philip Jong

The democratization of communication by the internet has given rise to a sea of opinions that invariably conflict with each other. Unfortunately, the virtual community is often too ill equipped to deal with the resultant public discourse in a civil and constructive manner. Rather, the internet has been transformed into an echo chamber in which the extremes of views are magnified until they become the dominant voices of the masses. Worst yet, social norms cultivated through millennia of civilized human interactions are quick to be discarded in the online world and are being replaced by a culture of perpetual interpersonal drama wherein ad hominem attacks against dissenters are both permitted and normalized. The collapse of social civility is most evident in social media, such that outrage and anger are now the driving currency of the medium to grab attention from the feuding public to be further exploited. Moreover, mainstream social networks are guilty of providing a platform to malicious outsiders (usually under the cover of anonymity) who seek to inflame the spectacle for their own gains. The collective lack of social restraint makes it difficult for the community to self-regulate and resolve any public discourse online. Until decorum is established, the increasing toxicity of the current internet culture will soon unravel all that remains of civility in the real world.