How Politeness Affects Engagement in Politics Online

 Impoliteness online may be affecting people’s willingness to participate in political conversations.

An age-old saying advises against talking about politics, religion, and money in polite company. These topics seem to transform pleasant conversations into bitter disagreements. Anyone with a social media account can attest that this is particularly true of politics in online conversations. Political posts with heated comments sections seem to be increasingly prevalent across media platforms.  

Effects of Impoliteness on Online Political Participation

The lack of civility surrounding political conversations may have substantial effects on democracy as a whole. A study by NPR reports that a third of eligible voters did not vote in the 2020 presidential election. They conducted a survey asking people why they  chose not to vote. One common reason cited was that “voters feel a sense of alienation and apathy. They are generally detached from the news and pessimistic about politics.”

This growing sense of disengagement and pessimism could be driven by the bitter and heated political discourse we see online. If such impolite discourse is indeed negatively affecting political engagement, what can we do? 

One study suggests that modeling civility in online political discussions “can increase people’s participatory intentions.” Though it may seem insignificant at times, simply making an effort to be polite in online political discussions can help encourage others to do the same

Polite and Impolite Comments 

To better understand political discussions online, I examined comments from an opinion article from the New York Times that discussed immigration policies. I chose this article because immigration is currently a controversial topic that often leads to intense discussion online.

I divided the comments into two categories, polite and impolite. I labeled comments as impolite that attack the morals of others, use rude language, or have a condescending tone. I labeled comments as polite that acknowledge the merits of people who see differently than them and lack offensive language. I then analyzed 75 comments from each category by looking at the frequency of certain terms in each group. 

I focused my research on the pronouns used by the two groups. One study suggests that in political speech, we is often used to invoke a sense of collectivity and shared responsibility, while they is used to separate one’s self from others.

Pronouns Used in Political Comments

In my analysis, I found that the polite comments used personal pronouns like we and I more frequently than the impolite comments, with we being used 69 times in the polite comments but only 44 times in the impolite comments. I also noted that the impolite comments used the third person pronoun they slightly more frequently than the polite comments, with 39 uses in the impolite comments and 34 in the polite comments. These impolite comments also referred to the republican party three times more frequently than the polite comments, and the democratic party almost two times more frequently.

The common use of we in polite comments may suggest that people who use civil language online feel more personally engaged in political discussions because they feel a shared sense of responsibility for the issues they are discussing.  On the other hand, the frequency of they and other names in impolite comments may suggest that those who use uncivil language are more likely to focus on labels that divide people than solutions that bring people together. Because polite comments use we most frequently, those who use civil language may be more likely to approach political topics from a space of inclusion and teamwork. 

Modeling Civility 

So if we assume that politeness in politics online can increase feelings of participation and engagement, how can we help foster that engagement in others? 

Based on the data in this pilot study, one solution may be using more first person pronouns (especially we) in our political conversations. Doing so can create a sense of unity. In addition, we can avoid using third-person pronouns (such as they) and labels, avoiding a focus on dividing factors and keeping the focus of the conversation on the issue.

By modeling this civility online, we will be more likely to encourage others to elevate their language online and increase people’s desire to be more active participants in our democracy. Consider trying out these strategies the next time you comment on political issues. In the comments below, share how it goes!

– London Brimhall

FEATURE IMAGE BY Anna Keibalo