Nastiness has crept into the Scottish Parliament over the last 10 years, the SNP's chief whip has warned.
Rona Mackay spoke about her time at Holyrood since her election win in 2016 as she prepares to step down as an MSP.
She applauded Parliament for its work on domestic abuse laws and key SNP policies such as free prescriptions during its time in charge.
But the former journalist said that since her election, tribalism and nastiness has crept into the debating chamber in Edinburgh.
"It's got a tad more tribal on the opposition's side," the Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP told the Press Association in her Holyrood office.
"I don't think the public really appreciates squabbling and arguing - it's not attractive.
"I think that's probably got worse as a bit of nastiness has crept in.
"It's probably not been ideal for women. I've been lucky but I know that some of my colleagues have had quite a stressful time online.
"By and large, it reflects life really and it's just the way society is, I think, just now, and we just have to deal with it."
Ms Mackay is one of dozens of MSPs stepping down ahead of the election in May, including former first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, as well as current Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.
The SNP MSP said there were people in other parties whom she "really likes" and added that it was important to maintain friendships across the political aisle but suggested it was personal attacks in Holyrood that she took issue with.
She said: "I think anybody watching, for instance, First Minister's Questions or some of the debates, they can get very heated, and things can be said that I don't think the public appreciate. The shouting, and sometimes it gets personal to the ministers, who are usually on the front line.
"That's what I really mean by tribalism. We should appreciate good things that each party will bring to the table. You don't just vote something down or not like it because it wasn't your party that brought it forward.
"I think if there was a bit more of that, a bit more common sense and being reasonable, I think that might help for the next session."
Outside the chamber, Ms Mackay warned against the "worrying" rise of "deeply misogynistic" attacks made online against female members of Parliament, which she said was in part because some people viewed politicians as "public property".
She said abuse was a "low" point of being an MSP, and particularly a woman at Holyrood.
Ms Mackay said she made the decision early on in her parliamentary career to stand down in 2026, having been a journalist in newspapers for two decades.
She said: "I think it's important that you know when the time is right to go and I think for me it definitely is now, much as it's been an amazing privilege for the past decade to be here to represent my constituents with Strathkelvin and Bearsden. It's definitely time to move on."