The True Purpose of the Comments Section

In today's world, politics and controversy are both popular topics. One man, Donald Trump, has managed to combine both of these topics by simultaneously running for president and making comments that have sparked controversy.

After reading the comments section for an article about Trump on The Atlantic, I came to the realization that, for the most part, comment sections on websites such as The Atlantic, are not an effective way to have a rational discussion about an issue, but rather a medium in which people can express their passion about a topic by attacking those who disagree with them.

The impersonal and anonymous nature of these comment pages allows people to feel comfortable saying things that they might normally not. Most of the comments I read were personal attacks on people who had a different opinion. This would not be the case if the conversations had in the comments section were instead had in a coffee shop where the people who disagreed would be conversing face to face with full knowledge of each other's identities. The anonymity of the comments section gives people the courage to be vulgar and channel their passion about contentious issues, such as Donald Trump's comments, into anger.

I also saw that many of the comments lacked any evidence to back up their claims and attacks. Posts with no evidence to support their claims not only rob the comment in question of any value it may have had, but also devalues the discussion it was a part of as a whole. Because of this lack of credibility in the comments, I found it very hard to let my opinion of the article be swayed in either direction.

I believe that because of the irrational nature of many comment pages, people looking to have a serious and intellectual discussions about contentious topics should seek another medium to do so. But then again, that is just my opinion that could easily be just another unsubstantiated post in a comments section somewhere. This brings the question of what truly is the best medium in which to conduct civil discourse.