Conversations on social networks are becoming increasingly offensive. 78% of users say that rude behavior online is on the rise, and 2 in 5 people report blocking, unfollowing or "unfriending" someone because of an argument on social media.

Our survey of 2,698 people shows that contentious conversations that start online tend to spill over into real life, as 1 in 5 people have reduced personal contact with someone because of what they said online. The study also shows that people are generally less polite on social media and that tensions that arise on social media often go unresolved. The problem is not social media platforms per se, but that people are engaging in conversations that can destroy even the most meaningful personal relationships. Our research also revealed that young people are 4 times more likely to have emotionally charged conversations on social media than previous generations.

For all these reasons, learning to communicate effectively online has become an ever-increasing necessity. It is askillthat can be learned to communicate sincerely and effectively, without looking down on people. Those who want to climb the career ladder rapidly not only in private life but also in corporate life can learn to achieve the results they want without despising other people by improving their ability to communicate sincerely and effectively with their colleagues face to face or online. We call this "Critical Conversation" skill.

Main Results of our Research: Respondents to our survey;

78% reported an increase in rude behavior on social media.
76% have witnessed an argument on social media.
2 in 5 have blocked, unfollowed or "unfriended" someone as a result of an argument.
1 in 5 have reduced contact with someone because of something they said online.
88% think people are less polite on social media than they are in person.
81% say that difficult or emotionally charged conversations on social media still remain unresolved.

To Access the Details of the Research

So How Can Crucial Conversations on Social Media Be Conducted Effectively?

I have some advice that I think will be useful for this;

• Reconsider your goals. Social media has not only changed the way we communicate, it has also changed our purposes. Ask yourself: "Is my goal to get lots of likes or create controversy?" or "Do I want to have a healthy dialog?"
• Give up inflammatory words. If your goal is to offer an opinion on a topic, not to defeat someone in a debate, use words that help others understand your position, rather than "inflammatory" words that can be offensive. For example, instead of saying "that's ridiculous" you can say "I disagree with that for the following reasons...".
• Take a break to get your emotions under control. Never comment when you feel emotionally triggered. Never! If you wait four hours, chances are you will have a different answer.
• Agree before you disagree. It's okay to disagree with someone, but don't state your disagreement until you also recognize the areas where you agree with that person. Usually, debaters agree on 80 percent of the issue, but when they spend their time arguing only about the other 20 percent, they create a false sense of conflict that is not really real.
• Trust your gut instinct. If you read a comment on your post and feel that the conversation is getting too emotional for an online communication, you're probably right! Stop right there. Talk offline, or better yet, talk face to face

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