There’s a lot going on in America these days, and whether it’s a debate over who should use what bathroom, whether or not Planned Parenthood is funded, or the acceptance of Syrian refugees into our borders, everyone has an opinion on the issues at hand. One of the greatest things about our country is that we have the right to speak freely, and with social media, we are now able to do so to a large population easier than ever before. At one time, opinions were only shared with close family and friends because we didn't have platforms allowing us to reach the entire world. This was once reserved for notable figures, like presidents delivering addresses or authors publishing stories/articles- but even these addresses were typically limited to within their region or country. Now that we constantly have the most powerful communication tools we’ve ever seen within the palms of our hands, we can reach more people with one post than a president once could delivering the State of the Union; not only can we share thoughts with our entire community, state, or nation, but we can extend them to the entire world.

There's a lot of beauty in being connected so easily and having the ability to raise your voice in such a public way. I have friends that I never see but am able to keep up with thanks to social media, and I have come in contact with celebrities or prominent figures and made friends I might have never met otherwise.

I think it's important that we recognize we can use our voices. We are a country that allows for freedom of speech, and we are taught to believe our voices matter. They do. But if you're posting your controversial opinion on Facebook alone, it's most likely not going to make a difference in a way that actually matters. Really, it's mostly going to make a difference to your friends - and not always in a good way.

Opinions are beautiful things. They are one of the ways in which we are all different from one another, and that's an awesome human asset to be celebrated; however, many people don't recognize the value in opinions that are different than theirs. It's a shame, because when we live with an open mind or take a walk in another person's shoes, we usually end up learning more about the world and feeling more confident in our own beliefs - or we take the opportunity to change them!

I have several friends who I can always count on to give an opinion-loaded status about something at least once a week. Don't get me wrong - they're certainly interesting, and sometimes thought-provoking… but in all honesty, none of them have ever incited action on my part to call my political leaders, boycott/support any particular company, or start a movement. Usually, the most action I make after reading a controversial Facebook post is maybe "liking" it, or opening the comments to read everyone else's argument. Most times, the topic gets about five minutes of my thoughts and then I'm on to something else. That's it.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing to post opinions on Facebook; if it makes you feel accomplished and like you are making a difference in the world, go for it; however, can you really measure that difference beyond likes and shares? Does it really make a change? Or did it actually just start an unnecessary argument between two people who cannot be friends anymore because they do not tolerate other people's opinions? There always seems like there has to be a "winner" somehow, whether their comments get more likes or are further supported.

I’d never call sharing an opinion online “slacktivism,” because I think having an opinion is the first step to action; however, we can’t expect change with opinions alone. You can believe in something so truly and deeply as much as you want, but if you don’t go beyond expressing your opinion, nothing will change. Don’t be fooled- 150 likes on your post doesn’t mean you’ve made an impact and that they’re taking action. While I’m sure that sometimes happens, I don’t think it’s as frequent as your analytics and responses may lead you to believe.

So, the next time you go to make a controversial Facebook post, first ask yourself: what am I doing beyond expressing my thoughts in order to make a change? This doesn’t mean we always have to call our politicians; it’s not always political. If you’re talking about how cruel the world is, are you also working to be kinder? If you are sharing a link to raise money for an organization, have you also donated? We need to push ourselves to practice what we preach before we preach to others.