It’s a common plea I’ve seen come across my feed lately, and it is presented in some variation of the following:
“Please stop posting your political beliefs. You’re not going to change anyone’s mind. You’re just preaching to the choir.”
“I come to social media to escape the fighting and horrors of the world. I don’t want to see it in my newsfeed.”
“I’m so sick of all the bashing from both sides. Can we get back to pictures of cute babies and funny cat videos?”
I get it. People need a break. But here’s why you shouldn’t heed these requests.
“Please stop posting your political beliefs. You’re not going to change anyone’s mind. You’re just preaching to the choir.”
The thing is, changing minds isn’t the central reason why many people share their political opinions on social media. Sure, it would be nice if doing so caused just one person to consider the other side or get involved beyond silently stewing in their own discontent. And if posting political opinions achieves that — reaches just one person — then it is worth it. Beyond that, though, such sentiments are correct: it’s not likely anyone will have a sudden change in perspective.
But you know what voicing your concerns online does achieve? It lets others who are on board with your message know that they are not alone.
There is power in numbers, and when people who are also dissatisfied make that discontent known, it sends the message that this is not a fight anyone will have to take on single-handedly. It breeds the courage and resolve necessary to resist. And as the Women’s March clearly demonstrated, it brings millions of people of very different walks of life together in a single mission, something that is necessary for our voices to be heard. It lets our elected officials know that we are not happy. It forces them to recognize the concerns of the masses. It makes them accountable as public servants, for there is no ignoring the will of the people when the people voice that will en masse.
Beyond that, it also ensures the spread of FACTUAL information. None of this “alternative facts” nonsense. Because even within groups of like-minded individuals, people hold each other to high standards of accuracy and truth. And they help one another navigate that path responsibly and ethically. In an age where facts are increasingly denied and replaced with blatant lies, this mission to stick to the truth is more important than ever, lest we fall victim to the denial of reality from which so many supporters of our current regime suffer.
“I come to social media to escape the fighting and horrors of the world. I don’t want to see it in my newsfeed.”
This is understandable. There is so much negativity in the world that we need a reprieve once in a while for our own mental well-being. But let me recommend going someplace other than social media to get it.
Those in need of a break should try taking a walk in nature. Exercising. Enjoying an evening with family, unplugged and away from devices. Reading a book. Painting. Coloring. Baking cookies. Again, it’s true that people need a time-out every so often. So they should take one offline.
Because don’t forget that there are people who cannot get that reprieve. There are people who live in fear that their human rights will be stripped, their healthcare will disappear, they will be upended from their homes, their children will be persecuted because of the religion they practice or the color of their skin. There are people who live the horrors of the world every minute of every day. Having the luxury of “escaping” at all is a privilege, and not one everybody enjoys. So while many take that reprieve, it’s important for those of us who are still here to keep up the fight by voicing our disdain so these concerns stay fresh in our allies’ minds and do not disappear into complacency.
“I’m so sick of all the bashing from both sides. Can we get back to pictures of cute babies and funny cat videos?”
Resistance is tough stuff. It is messy, it is uncomfortable, and it is taxing. If people want pictures of cute babies and funny cat videos, they can look them up themselves. They can’t rely on others to post these things for them, and they can’t expect others to satisfy their whims for mindless entertainment. They have their own free will and internet access. If they don’t like what they see, they can pull up their big kid pants and scroll on by. (Or better yet, try to understand.)
Today, there are far more important things on people’s minds than FAIL videos. People are going to have to deal with the immersion of political and human rights commentary alongside their ER-MAH-GERD memes.
So please. Do not give in to the temptation to pacify. Do not be pressured or shamed into submission. Continue to voice your concerns and share the facts. Continue to preach to the choir and give them the strength to do the same. Keep the momentum going. The people who don’t like it aren’t listening anyway. Not really.
And remember: the greatest threat to progress right now could quite possibly be our own silence.