Because of its ability to disseminate information and reach large audiences, the Internet and com- munication technologies that utilize it may provide an excellent forum for interpersonal discussion surrounding issues that may not be widely covered in traditional media. The Internet has the potential to foster discussion and deliberation among far-reaching audiences in spaces such as the comments section of news items and blog posts. However, such discussions are not always rational. Discussions on the Internet can take an uncivil route, with offensive comments or replies impeding the democratic ideal of healthy, heated discussion (Papacharissi, 2004; Shils, 1992).
The question remains as to whether online incivility affects the opinions of ‘‘lurkers,’’ or people who read online discussions without participating in them. Smith and his colleagues (2009) argue that lurkers are in fact participating in deliberation when reading others’ comments because a large part of rational discussion consists of reflecting on others’ opinions, which may or may not coincide with lurkers’ own opinions. In other words, audiences reading uncivil language in blog comments may find the messages hostile and make judgments about the issue based on their own preexisting values rather than on the information at hand. This may develop polarized perceptions on issues among different audience segments that hold different values.
The purpose of this study is to examine how uncivil online interpersonal discussion may contribute to polarization of perceptions about an issue.
