We all see it. You login to read a friend’s status, broadcasting their politically charged opinions. Maybe you click the "like" button in agreement. Perhaps you shake your head as you continue scrolling down your home page.
You refreshed the site and bam! A friend of a friend comments and whole heartedly opposes with your friend’s views, sparking debates that turn into insults being hurled here or there. What do you do? Play the liaison and make attempts to deescalate whatever the situation be? Act as the devil’s advocate to change a perspective? Type up a response and pause before deleting your words? Unless you’re no longer following whomever attracts and/or triggers conflicts in the comment sections, but doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being on social media in the first place? You don’t connect with people online just to unfollow them. You made the effort to see what they’re up to. It only provides more problems to the solutions.
I’ll speak for myself: I am completely bored with it all now. By "it," I mean the acts of terror, warped news outlets and the militarization of those charged with protecting our police state we used to call a nation. I used to get angry and despondent, but now I’ve become desensitized, no longer able feel anything related to the bullshit because it’s happening on a regular basis. I’ve accepted this as my reality.
While all the drama from our lives floods the feeds on social networks, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the circus that is the presidential election and increasing racial tension in this country. On numerous occasions, I’ve come close to deactivating my Facebook page because of the constant bombardment of opinionated news, including a meme from a friend I’m no longer online friends with: "Don’t let the government and the media turn this into a race war; let’s stand together." Long story short, she doesn’t approve of the Black Lives Matter movement, and she isn’t a racist. If she were, I wouldn’t be mentioning her, but due to the fact that she’s not and says All Lives Matter was the straw the broke the camel’s back.
Of all the terrible things people say and do to each other, fighting with one of my best friends was about all I could possibly take. But rather than be sad, I think I’d much rather detach and get excited for the new "Hey Arnold!" television movie coming out in 2017. If all goes well, no one will have been vaporized with nuclear weapons. I urge all of you to lighten up and don't let current events dull your emotions.
