If you please, will you take a moment to think about a political issue, a religious issue, any issue about which there is considerable disagreement, but an issue important to you. When was the last time you saw a very good discussion about it online, on social media? When was the last time you saw any great discussion about any of the great issues? I mean a great discussion where there was disagreement, but points worth considering made on all sides?
You might not think social media is the place to discuss important issues. I look through social media, and at first glance, I’d have to agree with you. Social media seems a place just to parrot political messaging, post quick soundbites, and abuse or be abused by people who disagree with you, everyone enjoying pseudo-anonymity.
But consider this: social media is the preferred way to communicate ideas in postmodern times. And also consider that social media companies consider themselves so important to the national discourse that they monitor political content and censor misinformation – actually censor their own users so that misinformation does not gain ground on their platforms.
Perhaps the best way to approach political discourse on social media and in other parts of our lives is to engage rather than ignore, contribute to and expect a higher level of discussion that goes beyond empty rhetoric, mere slogans, and abuse that hides behind anonymity.
UpDiscourse seeks to empower those who wish to elevate political discourse by identifying empty rhetoric, the illogical that sometimes passes for persuasion, and other political speech made in bad faith, so that we can actually come back to an honest discussion about both policy and direction.
Wishing you really good discussion,
UpDiscourse Team