Let's preface this article by saying that I am fully aware that most of the people who will open this article are in nearly complete agreement with me and everything I am about to say. I'm here hoping that this article will fall into the hands of someone on the fence about posting a political rant and to sway you to consider the pros and cons of what you may or may not do.
Most of you have noticed that there is an increased amount of posts on social media regarding political issues, presidential candidates, and passion-fueled rants on these topics. Even here on Odyssey, political articles seem to be popping up everywhere, and with great reason. They're relevant, current, and it's something that young voters, aka America's future, want to be properly informed upon. But there is a distinct difference between informative pieces on a certain candidate or topic and a insensitive rant on Facebook. It's not always inappropriate to post political opinions, but there are a few things to remember before posting about politics.
1. Keep in mind that EVERYONE can see what you post.
I have a lot of different friends on Facebook: people from high school, former teammates, friends' parents, old teachers. The last thing I would want is for a rant on social media to affect my relationships with these people or the opinion they have of me. Remember that saying something controversial in a hurtful way and saying something controversial in an informative way are two completely different things. For example, pointing out a flaw in logic is informative. Being an a**hole for the sake of being an a**hole is not. Which brings me to my next point.
2. If it can harmfully offend someone, refrain.
No matter how right you think your opinion is, there's always going to be someone who disagrees, respectfully or passionately. We are entitled to freedom of speech, and that's part of what makes America great. But if it's something that would be considered hurtful to who someone is as a person, it might just be best to keep your opinion to yourself, and to simply let your ballot speak for itself come Election Day. No need to strain otherwise mutually beneficial and completely healthy relationships over something as trivial as a Facebook post.
3. Consider it from a professional point of view.
This is just a nicer way of saying that if you can come off conceited, insensitive, or obnoxious, consider if that is the stance you want to take. We're such a delicate age where we have an abundance of opinions and are finding things we're passionate about, but we're also going to be applying for jobs soon, and those two things can conflict a lot of the time. Job recruiters say that extreme political opinions are a "huge red flag." There are many ways to express an opinion without completely shutting down someone else's perspective. Try to present your argument in a respectful and respectable way.
As a huge advocate for standing by what you believe in, I also believe that offending other people in the process is not the way to do it. I have great respect for those who are passionate about their beliefs, but social media sites like Facebook aren't the most sophisticated or effective way to get a point across. Keep these pointers in my this upcoming year when tensions get high and the race towards the White House heats up to ensure that you make it out of this election year without any unfriend-ing, Facebook or real world.
