Calling Quote by Barack Obama
“The Internet and Twitter and all these things are very powerful, but it also means sometimes that instead of having a dialogue we just start calling folks - calling each other names. And that's true on the left or the right.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Social Media, 2016
Online platforms amplify influence but also foster hostility, turning dialogue into name‑calling across political lines.
In simple terms: Social media can turn conversation into insults.
Key Takeaway
Promote respectful online discourse.
Themes
politics
communication
technology
polarization
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
political
media
When to use this quote
- political debates
- online comment sections
- social media campaigns
- community forums
- news discussions
Key Concepts
digital civility
echo chambers
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can reduce online hostility?
- How can dialogue be restored in polarized spaces?
A Different Perspective
Free speech can clash with civility.
![“I remember reading [ Studs Terkel's] "Working" when it first came out and just finding that very powerful. I was going into community organizing. What stuck was to reveal the sacredness of ordinary people's lives. That everybody has a story. And I think Studs is terrific at drawing out that…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8d7/barack-obama-17_community_i-remember-reading-studs-terkel-s-workin_3056170.jpg)
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
![“I don't see [ Trainspotting ] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've got a good agent, I've got a good manager, I'm getting a lot of work out there and doing a lot of stuff - getting a lot of film projects on the go.” quote by Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/918/irvine-welsh-843_agents_i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatros_7750.jpg)
