News organizations should turn off comments on their social media posts

I'd like to express something here about social media posts - specifically about comments on news sites.

I often go to these just to see how nasty and hateful people are. I have to admit that sometimes, if I'm in a combative mood, I'll add a comment, even though I know I'm just throwing fuel on the fire. (In my defense, I generally challenge false assertions and don't engage in personal insults.)

Is there anything in the world less productive than these comment sections? Media companies have a good reason to post their stories on social media because it drives people to their website, where they generate a lot of their income these days through advertising. However, the comments do absolutely nothing to add to this.

The fact is that these comment sections have become so infested with venal hatred that they actually cause a lot more damage than good. Media companies in turn don't gain one single thing from these comments, and in my opinion, they are in fact contributing more to the coarsening of discourse in our society than anything else.

May I respectfully suggest that media companies turn off the comment sections - particularly on political posts? These companies make *zero* revenue from the comments and are truly just fueling social hatred and conflict.