Replying, disliking, flagging: How users engage with uncivil and impolite comments on news sites

Uncivil and impolite user comments diminish the quality of deliberative discussions in the comment sections of news sites. This study investigates how users engage against such comments. Replying, disliking, and flagging are distinguished as different options of user engagement that vary in their functionality for discussion sections. To investigate the effects of incivility and impoliteness on user engagement, we conducted a 2 (civil vs. uncivil user comment) x 2 (polite vs. impolite user comment) online experiment. Results show that users engaged against impolite comments that attacked Muslims by flagging or by writing a reply against the language style or a reply against the expressed opinion. Incivility did not influence user engagement. The effects are moderated by Islamophobic attitudes. The results give detailed insights into readers’ behavior in discussion threads and have consequences for professional moderation.