Texts:
Singal, Jesse. “The New Science of How to Argue-Constructively.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Apr. 2019, http://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/erisology-the-science-of-arguing-about-everything/586534/.
Garber, M. (2020). The Right Way to Share Opinions on the Internet. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/the-argument-economy/390420/.
I am convinced, in all my days spent on the internet, passively watching people fight in the social media comments of huge accounts, that I have never seen someone change their opinion on a subject. I have never witnessed an about-face based on a factual argument. Either they simply log off or they end with an abrupt insult aimed at their opponent. If even traditional journalism is falling prey to this disease of the “piping hot take” in their reporting, then it stands to reason that the regular internet user–armed with their strongly formed opinions, lack of factual knowledge, goaded on by clickbait headlines–feels they have the permission to add their voice to the cacophony.
I think Singal makes several valid points regarding the benefit of studying erisology, particularly the ways it could offer us insights on what makes some people more emotionally volatile during arguments–high decouplers versus low decouplers. There is an overabundance of material to work with, especially during the years of major elections. Can erisology take us even deeper? I want to know more about what reward system is wrapped up in this world of the nasty online exchange. Are people so lonely that they initiate these types of interactions to fill a void or to simply feel like they are involved? Argument is not a new phenomena, as the article states, but it seems edgier, vitriolic, and public.
Stories are being published that offers a take that values ideas over facts in the name of content or to stay current with the trending topics of the day. These are then read by people who form their own opinions regarding these ideas. These ideas then influence what they believe to be the truth regarding a situation and from there can be argued about with forceful indignation. This breadcrumb trail leads to opinion after opinion, barely interacting with fact as it takes on a life of its own. There is a lot of discussion regarding fake news, and while that is undoubtedly a huge concern, maybe we should be leery of the news that seems to be coming from a trusted source. We should be analyzing whether each story is a “hot take” rather than based on factual information.
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