In An Increasingly Polarized America, Is It Possible To Be Civil On Social Media?

Tyler and Larry have never met. Larry is a conservative living on the East Coast. Tyler is a liberal in Indiana. If for some reason they crossed paths on the street, they wouldn't recognize each other.

But for the last few months, they've been getting into constant fights on Twitter.

Before I could interview them, I had to agree not to use their real names. The online circle where they spend much of their time can get aggressive. One of them says he's even gotten death threats.

All this month NPR is looking into civility in America. And if you've spent any time on social media, you know that it's the opposite of a civil space. Regular conversations often turn into public, insult-laden brawls, filled with low-blows and vile threats.

If you read