Guest Blogger: Rishi Narayan

Originally from the Lansing area, Rishi Narayan came to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, where he received his B.S.E. and M.S.E. in chemical engineering. However, it was an unreliable Ford Probe and a stint selling dorm-room lofts that would send him down the path of entrepreneurship. Over a decade later, Rishi is a co-founder and owner of Underground Printing, a national custom apparel provider and collegiate merchandise retailer based in Ann Arbor with 20 locations throughout the country. 

Alongside his entrepreneurial endeavors, Rishi tries to stay active in the community. He currently serves on the board of the South University Area Association, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.  He and his wife, Alison, have a 9-month-old son, Deen. 



Let's Change the Tone of the Conversation

I recently attended Impact 2013, an event put on by the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce focused on a very hot topic: Attracting young professionals and millennials to Ann Arbor. While many interesting subjects were discussed, the panel I participated in brought up a question that really resonated with me. The moderator asked us, "What makes young people apathetic towards civic engagement and local government?" 

I applied to the board of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority because of my excitement to learn more about the downtown and the opportunity to help shape its future. I specifically have an interest in helping to cultivate a diverse "retail mix" downtown. All types of retail make a downtown: restaurants, independent local retail shops, regional chainlets, and even some national chains. However, if one type of retail outlet dominates the downtown landscape, we will lose the flavor that gives a local downtown that "organic cool." Helping the local, unique independent shops and restaurants coexist and succeed in our downtown is important to many of us, and the DDA can (and will) help to ensure that happens.

However, I did have one major reservation that almost prevented me from applying to the DDA, and I have learned that this subject is one that concerns many of my peers in the community as well. Our issue is with the extreme lack of civility in public discourse, specifically online. 

We've all read the articles...hundreds of snide remarks by faceless commenters, bashing subjects of the article in a way they would never be able to do in person. Why volunteer your time and energy to give back to your local community only to have someone you've never met make judgements about you behind the shield of a handle? It's an even scarier prospect for young professionals, who are generally looking to make connections and build relationships in their community as they work to advance their career. If becoming involved means opening yourself up to sarcastic, cutting comments about your intelligence and ability for independent thought, it's remarkable that anyone puts themselves out there. No commission, committee or local position is beyond unsubstantiated ridicule, no matter what the size or importance.

It's great to have an engaged community. Public debate and the exchange of ideas is paramount in a democracy, and the forum of online comments is an amazing amplifier of the discussion. It extends the debate past your immediate circle to people you have never met, offering a wide variety of viewpoints and experiences. The problem is the overall tone and focus of the comments -- negativity towards people and not debate over the issues. Because "bad" is louder than "good" , the negative commentary put forth by a vocal minority dominates the conversation, which changes the whole tone of a comment thread and affects how readers interpret the story.

I don't believe this negative tone has anything to do with what political party you side with or what stance you take on a particular issue, rather it stems from anonymity. Kudos to those who use their real names in online comments when they aren't required to. Their arguments are no less passionate, yet much more cordial. I think that the requirement of real names when commenting on the internet (like the Facebook Comments you see below) should become the norm. I'm not the only one; Google recently changed their commenting system and is now powering YouTube comments with Google+, requiring real names. Some sites, like Popular Science, are taking more drastic measures by completely shutting down their comments. Even our own local MGoBlog, the largest college football blog in the country, is taking a hard line against trolls and negative commenters. 

We have an exciting mayoral race in the coming months, with what promises to be a spirited debate. My hope is that this campaign season, the candidates, elected officials, and online commenters can change the overall tone of the public debate in our community. The ability to recruit the younger generation to engage with their local government may just depend on it. And if you need some inspiration, everyone's invited over to my parents' house (sorry Mom!) to read the inscription on the sign in the kitchen: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Photo by Doug Coombe