For centuries, issues of civil discourse only arose concerning written and oral communication. But now, new technologies for communication and social interaction, particularly social media, have dramatically expanded the potential for human interaction. They generate significant challenges for institutional policies and practices to encourage and sustain civil discourse for the critical social and personal issues higher education professionals and their students face. To address this challenge, the authors review emerging trends in social media, discuss problems that arise with their use, and provide recommendations for helping students use social media in civil and productive ways.