Good observation. I have noticed that people very vocal online do not do so well in person. They forget what it's like to have people looking at you disapprovingly or to be forced to express your views coherently the first or second attempt, without the chance to craft the perfect 140 char response.
Unfortunately, as more and more young people grow up with digital spaces as their primary domain, they are losing the ability to communicate in person. I have a few friends that are high school teachers, and they all notice this trend. Every class discussion involves short sentence answers, low effort, very little passion. But if you let them use a digital space to post opinions (like a class discussion forum) things can become polarised, or at least more passionate than they were in class.
Toastmasters! Public speaking is an incredible valuable skill that you need in all walks of life. People should check out their local chapter: https://www.toastmasters.org/
I've come across people mentioning Toastmasters online at least 3 dozen times in separate contexts over the years. Yet no one IRL knows what the hell it is or where to find one. How can something be so commonplace here and completely alien outside of online spaces. I've never been to one or had the word toastmasters ever mentioned in person before. Is this like an alcoholics anonymous, but for public speaking?
I think maybe the difference is that a digital space allows you to not focus on the number of people you're addressing, so people act more like they are having a conversation with a representative member of their audience.
I don't think it's fundamentally about the digital aspect so much as writing vs. speaking.
Unfortunately, as more and more young people grow up with digital spaces as their primary domain, they are losing the ability to communicate in person. I have a few friends that are high school teachers, and they all notice this trend. Every class discussion involves short sentence answers, low effort, very little passion. But if you let them use a digital space to post opinions (like a class discussion forum) things can become polarised, or at least more passionate than they were in class.