I want to start with a disclaimer: I am not afraid of feedback. In fact, if you have something to say, I highly encourage you to reach out to me via the social links on my “About” page. I welcome all critiques, and if you point out a factual error, I will gladly update the post and credit you.
However, I’ve decided that a comment section is not the right environment for this blog. Here is why.
The Value of the Comment Section
Comment sections are a staple of the internet. They exist on almost every social media platform because they are an amazing feature. For the devs, they serve as an automated engagement factories. For the users, they are filled with humor, memes, appreciation, feedback, and even protest. Some are meant for the author to read, others are aimed at fellow users.
They give you a voice-a place where you can say anything that comes to mind. Sometimes, a great comment can be more insightful than the post it sits under.
While I acknowledge the community aspect, a comment section comes with a hidden cost…
Preserving Independent Judgment
My primary concern is that a comment section can inadvertently bypass a reader’s critical thinking and ability to form their own opinion.
When we read a post followed by an ocean of opinions, we are susceptible to Social Proof- the psychological tendency to be subconsciously nudged to align our views with the “consensus” before we’ve even finished processing the information.
I want you -the one who reads my posts- to be able to form an independent perspective. Whether they agree or not, I don’t want someone else’s voice to influence their judgment before they’ve finished thinking.
I want to encourage readers to use their own brains to analyze, dissect, and form reasoned conclusions. If it’s an opinionated post like this, form an independent, unbiased perspective on whether you agree. If it’s an informative post, double-check my sources and research the subject further.
We see this most clearly in media. How many times have you finished a movie, felt it was mediocre, and then checked IMDb or Letterboxd only to find an 8.5/10 rating?
That immediate surge of self doubt may cause you to second-guess your own media literacy. You start wondering what you missed rather than trusting your own experience.
I’ve felt this myself a couple of times. But after taking the time to analyze those films away from the noise of the ratings, I often realized my initial instinct was right: the writing was shallow, regardless of what the “majority” thought.
Reclaiming Focus Stamina
Beyond the influence on our opinions, there is the issue of focus. We live in a “distraction economy” where our attention is a commodity. As noted in the video Deep Focus by Odysseas, media has “hollowed out”. It’s designed to be snappy and fast in order to keep you scrolling.
Many of us have a weakened “focus stamina.” We’ve become so used to instant stimulation that if a paragraph gets too dense or an argument requires a moment of quiet reflection, our first instinct is to scroll down to the comments for a “quick fix” of entertainment.
By not having a comment section, I aim to remove that exit ramp. I want to encourage you to sit with the text, even if it’s challenging or “boring” for a moment. Training your focus stamina requires engaging with content that doesn’t offer a constant stream of secondary distractions.
Conclusion
The internet is a loud place, and silence is becoming a rare commodity. By not having comments, I’m not trying to shut down the conversation; I’m trying to move it from a public stage to a private reflection.
My goal isn’t to tell you what to think, but to give you the space to think and to reclaim your focus if that part is relevant to you.