Claire Cain Miller’s post in The New York Times highlights a study by Keith Hampton of Rutgers that concludes that social media tends more to stifle debate than encourage it.  Moreover, the impact of this online effect extends to silencing dialogue even in-person…  The online effect is probably not a surprise to most, but the additional chilling effect offline is intriguing.  As Miller notes, it’s one study — but worth investigating further.  Check it out.