Online discussion could foster more democratically focused citizens – but only if the forums in which they take place are designed with this aim in mind

Political discussion is increasingly moving online, however critics of social media will often refer to the aggressive and confrontational nature of many such discussions, particularly where anonymity is involved. Kim Strandberg shares the results of a research study which shows that this need not be the case, with rules and good design able to foster the kind of debate which could help to facilitate deliberative democracy.