Sometimes it can be polite among people who know each other outside of social media. Some of those discussions - even civil arguments - can seem productive (whether they are or not, who knows). But most of my Facebook "friends" I've never met in person. Take that further, to friends of friends, and it's like talking to a stranger. It's easy to be rude in the relative anonymity of the web.

@nicestuff I'll say that on this site I don't know people, I know or have met every Facebook friend. When strangers try to friend me on FB I ignore.

Facebook was initially great for reconnecting with long-lost friends. But social media is ultimately unsatisfying, at least compared to in-person socializing. Maybe the isolation of the pandemic has something to do with it too!