The internet can seem like a feeding ground for the worst kinds of comments, insults and so-called “debate” — especially when it comes to politics.
But, does that kind of incivility online affect the degree to which we’ll participate in politics offline?
Justin Knoll, a sociology doctoral student at the University of Arizona, decided to find out if people’s tolerance to this kind of incivility online impacts their participation in politics.
He took data collected by the National Institute for Civil Discourse in which they surveyed more than 1,000 college students and asked respondents to rate a list of 23 activities — like shouting at a political opponent — on their level of incivility.
