I agree in general, and have since well before social media. In the 1990's, we had listservs, bulletin board systems (BBS's), and the like. They could be great for information exchange, networking, and entertainment, but they also had a dark side. A small disagreement could blow up into a verbal war very quickly. I was part of a writers' mail exchange that all but fell apart in such a dustup. The main difference between then and now is how many people are using the technology. The web made access far easier.

But I disagree that lack of education underlies such problems. They are really a spiritual matter, by which I mean our moral compass and the efforts we put forth at self-control. After all, anger and its ugly offspring rage are not matters of intellect.

Yes, lack of education can make these problems immeasurably worse. But as I once heard a college professor say, "People think that if you have a Ph.D. you're smart. Not true. There are plenty of stupid people with Ph.D.'s." And even the most intelligent and well-educated of us can let our emotions get the better of us. Rather, it is our sense of right and wrong and our ability to keep our emotions in check that makes for civility.