These past few years have seen a drastic rise in people being outspoken about social change and social justice. That may be partially because we live in an age with access to so much information instantly, and we have so many different avenues to share whatever it is that we find. Social media, for better or worse, has become such a staple part of getting information on what’s going on in the world. It’s like the newspaper of 2017. Because we are currently living in a digital age, and are involved with so many different kinds of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, etc.) we can communicate with people all across the world that we wouldn’t have been able to before.

Part of the rise of social media communication and activism has paved the way for more and more celebrities, whether they be actors, artists, or athletes, to be more outspoken about how they feel about what’s going on in the world. This can be a great thing, if the people speaking out are speaking out in favor of the things that you believe. But, just like with anything, you can’t please everyone.

It’s been a very tense year on the social justice front. Everyone has been taking a stance on issues that will end up impacting everyone in the long-run, and it’s been causing a lot of tension, especially online. This past election season I saw more Facebook arguments than I’ve ever seen in the six years that I’ve even had Facebook. Everyone had something to say about everything. Just like you and I, and all of our Facebook friends, the rich and famous also want their views and voices heard. The only difference is that when they speak out they reach a lot more people than just the couple hundred that we have on our social media accounts. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Celebrities who have a large platform and recognize that should be using it to their advantage and trying to educate people on different social and political issues.

However, I know that there are a lot of people who don’t agree with that sentiment. When celebrities advocate for or against something, it’s always met with applause by one group of people, and backlash by another group. That’s the way it always is. However, lately I’ve seen a common sentiment come up whenever people don’t agree with a celebrity’s stance on a particular issue. People tend to say, “Well they’re famous, so what would they even know about real life?” And, on the one hand I sort of understand what they mean, but on the other hand, celebrities are also just people. Sure, they have more followers on Twitter and more money than most of us could ever dream of having, but they’re still human at the end of the day. They have families and homes and feelings and, wait for it, brains. They have their own thoughts and stances on things and those shouldn’t be discounted just because they’re famous. They live in this country just like the rest of us and if they want to speak out on behalf of the welfare of the people and advocate for their rights, why shouldn’t they? More people are going to read a tweet by Chris Evans than are going to read this article this week, so why shouldn’t he put his viewpoint out there if he wants to? If someone is educated and wants to speak out they shouldn’t be told not to just because they happen to have a greater social reach than you or me.

There are a couple notable, more recent instances of this. For example, when Meryl Streep accepted her award at the Golden Globes this past year, she made a bold statement about defending the arts and artists of all kinds, speaking about journalism and the importance of integrity of those who are in the spotlight. She was met by an extreme amount of backlash for her comments. Within hours there were articles and videos that were both defending her and chastising her for what she had said. It just depended on who happened to be doing the reporting for that specific news outlet.

Much more recently the star athlete Lebron James has been causing some tension for his comments on the current sociopolitical situation. What prompted his most recent comment was the outbreak of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia and the damage it caused. While there are people who applaud his choice to speak up, there are many who are telling him to stick to what he knows: sports. It’s a narrow-minded thing to say, because it implies that because he is a famous and wealthy athlete there must be some sort of inherent disconnect between him and the current social and political climate.

Streep and James are two very different people from two different walks of life, and they are just two of the many celebrities who have been taking the time to step out and speak up against injustice. You could also scroll through Chris Evans's or Mark Ruffalo's twitter accounts and find much of the same thing. But they all have been met with confrontation because of their comments because the general public fails to realize that celebrities are also impacted by what happens in this country. They are still bound by the same rules that we are, and just because they have more money and notoriety doesn’t mean that they don’t care about those issues or that their lives won’t change because of them. People say that celebrities should keep politics out of film, out of sports, out of their concerts or theater performances because they can’t possibly know what they’re talking about. Not only is that wrong, because since when does fame automatically equate to being uninformed about what’s going on in your own country? But also, why wouldn’t you want someone who is going to be listened to, to talk about the things that matter?

These people are literally and metaphorically holding the microphone and taking advantage of that to try and spread knowledge and awareness. You don’t have to agree with everything that they say, but that doesn’t change the fact that they still have the right to utilize their network and say it anyway. You might not always like them, or what they have to say, but you can’t deny the fact that if every celebrity remained silent, it would be a waste of a platform and an audience that is ready and willing to listen.