Are you the type of person who argues with people on Facebook and other social media apps?

If you are, you might want to consider stopping that altogether and taking a new approach because a study from researchers at the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley shed some interesting light on how we perceive information.

The study saw 300 participants read, watch videos, or listen to people talk about controversial topics. The researchers found that the people who watched or listened to someone speak about these topics were less likely to say the speaker was “uninformed or heartless.”

On the other hand, people who read the arguments tended to be more dismissive of opinions not in line with their own.

Some experts think that the ability to be anonymous online leads to these kinds of interactions.

Wendy Mencel, director of the Canadian School of Protocol and Etiquette, says.“People are a lot bolder on Facebook than they are in real life. There is a disconnect between what they’re writing and how they’re coming across, and they forget that their words can offend people. Social media opens us up to more scrutiny, and we have to be conscious of what message we’re projecting to the world.”

These findings have led researchers to encourage people to settle their differences by talking in person as opposed to fighting it out online.

The researchers also said that meeting face-to-face can not only resolve disputes but can lead to compromise between people.

That sounds like a win-win, don’t you think?!?!