In today’s society, people are more connected than ever before. With an increase in globalization and the advancement in technology, individuals from around the world can connect at just the click of a button. With the added abilities and time spent on interacting with others through social media platforms, it is inevitable that the politics and overlapping beliefs of modern society are shared. Because of the voracious past election of the United States President, the clashing of political ideologies has become a heated topic that has taken over social media. This increase in talking about politics magnifies one question: Is social media an appropriate avenue for discussing politics and current events?
I believe that the moment we as a society start to limit what individuals of any backgrounds can say, we have all lost a freedom. Even if I do not agree and respect what someone is saying, I do realize that they have the same freedom of speech that I have. Therefore, I support the act of sharing one’s thoughts about politics on social media. However, I do think there is a thin line between sharing what one believes and attacking someone else for their beliefs. The moment one starts degrading an individual based on the ideology that they align with, I no longer consider social media as an appropriate avenue. Because this type of libel leads to the mentality of “whose side are you on?”, I believe discussing politics to take one party down instead of to advance one’s own beliefs is inappropriate.
As an individual who is extremely interested in politics and how it affects all walks of life, I do my best to stay up to date with current news and to make sure my news outlets are factually accurate. Although I support the first amendment right of Freedom of Speech and agree that individuals that have diversity in their thoughts should be able to share their political opinions on social media, I think it is extremely important to fact check. With the intense political climate in our country, few people are willing to see from the perspective of “the other side”. If individuals, especially younger generations, continue to get news on current events from only social media platforms, where they can choose to unfollow, block, or bully anyone who has political opinions that they do not agree with, our society as a whole will become torn apart and extremely biased toward their side.
Because I truly believe that we as a society function better as a whole instead of fragmented, I think it is very important to be socially active in discussing and communicating with individuals of all thoughts. If we were all the same, we would not feel the need to grow, change, and learn. Therefore, I believe social media, when used for positive communicating and standing up for what genuinely believes in, is a positive instrument that can be used to create a harmony between individuals of all religions, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and backgrounds. While the worry of “fake news” and the annoyance of seeing opinions that one does not agree with pertaining to both sides is prevalent, if we all continue to fight for what we believe is right and set facts straight then we as a society can still have hope.
We, as a society, truly lose the moment we all start to be silent and settle for what is the present.
Because I think we are our best when we are bound together amidst our differences, I feel that social media is an appropriate avenue for discussing political beliefs. While I cringe and disagree with the digital slander that individuals are increasingly committing toward others who do not agree with them, I whole heartedly believe that the power of the pen — or in this case, the keyboard — can be used as our greatest tool to bring us all together.
