The problem with muting your friends

I tuned out my friend's online rants. I deeply regret it.

A man and a laptop.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

Don't feed the trolls, we're told. Mute your crazy uncle. But who benefits most when we disengage online?

Over the past few months, an old and dear friend of mine has become increasingly pugnacious on social media. He'd always been right of center, and he'd never been exactly shy with his opinions. But now his Facebook feed was dedicated largely to spreading questionable right-wing news sources, and to venting his spleen at left-wing liars, saboteurs, and outright traitors.

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Noah Millman

Noah Millman is a screenwriter and filmmaker, a political columnist and a critic. From 2012 through 2017 he was a senior editor and featured blogger at The American Conservative. His work has also appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Politico, USA Today, The New Republic, The Weekly Standard, Foreign Policy, Modern Age, First Things, and the Jewish Review of Books, among other publications. Noah lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.