I recently learned Facebook allows you to unfollow your friends’ posts so you don’t have to see them on your News Feed. Discovering this feature has been a godsend during the surge of politically charged declarations people make on social media. I must have unfollowed 20 people of all ages who regularly share articles on why former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a bureaucratic monster who will eat this country whole, and other individuals who write fiery comments about why Donald Trump is actually the antiChrist. I couldn’t care less about reading passionate Facebook posts someone wrote and shared in under five minutes.
I’m not saying I don’t care about listening to people’s opinions on a candidate running for office or the challenges our country is facing; I’ll drop anything to make time for a deep discussion about the election. What I find disheartening and strange is how these important topics are debated on sites like Facebook and Twitter and are not really being deliberated face-to-face with the people we are surrounded by on a daily basis.
They follow the same formula: pick a topic, write an opinion and share a like-minded article expanding on the point they want to make. It seems to me posting these things can often be more about an individual seizing an opportunity to remind everyone of where they stand rather than actually informing an audience about an issue which needs attention.
Of course, there are those who share political articles on Facebook with the genuine intention of enlightening their followers on an important issue. But even then, we have to recognize most of the time, posting these things really doesn’t change anything. Every time we click share, we are just adding to an already overwhelming and noisy wall of political clatter, filled with loaded language, tainted biases and personal agendas skewing the truth of the topic at hand.
While like-minded friends may comment with affirmative words, the chances are the people you want to reach will roll their eyes and scroll past, if they haven’t unfollowed you already. People’s minds are only changed over time when they experience controversy and challenges first-hand and head-on, and the impersonal, disconnected nature of social media is insufficient in altering the way a person fundamentally sees or understands the world. Every article, every fiery status and every clip of a politician’s hypocrisy is fleeting and temporary as more and more photos, videos and rants pile up on our Facebook News Feeds. A politically charged post doesn’t stay with us any longer than it takes us to skim its content.
Instead of proposing an impossible end to all Facebook rants on politics, I will offer the simple observation of more can be felt and understood if we take the time to actually speak with our friends, professors and community members about the topics we may feel obliged to rant about on social media. In an age dominated by instant gratification and validation from the rush of sharing our opinions, we seem to have lost the ability to hold real, in depth discussions about the topics which affect our daily lives and our nation as a whole.
If you feel the need to contribute to political discussions, I might suggest doing so in a way more effective, lasting and meaningful than the sharing of a Facebook status or a 140 character Tweet. I admire how we are able to share our thoughts and opinions so freely in this country, but there is always room to reflect on the best methods to express them. And, honestly, if I see one more Facebook essay written in all caps with #FeelTheBern at the bottom, I might deactivate my Facebook and throw my computer against the wall.
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