It’s probably not new news to you that the US is in desperate need of a lot of fixing. Recently, our timelines have been documenting a seemingly endless series of unfortunate events, between topics of terrorism, police brutality, racism, LGBTQ+ rights, presidential candidates, etc. With over 500 million tweets being sent into the Twittersphere every single day, people are being thrown into a sea of confusion. Most opinions aren't just opinions anymore, but rather an individual declaration of a unified school of thought by the use of the ever-so-present hashtag. Now, much of the youth are getting their information on current events in spurts of 140 characters, and are being pulled in every other direction.
“This is important #BlackLivesMatter”
“This is what’s right # AllLivesMatter”
“This is the truth #BlackPower”
“This is why you’re wrong #MakeAmericaGreatAgain”
#AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile #BatonRouge #Dallas #Sexismexists #LoveIsLoveIsLove #I’mWithHer #JoinMe #BelieveThis #LookAtMeLookAtMeLookAtMeLookAtMe……
Do not misunderstand me — I am NOT saying that people should stop using hashtags, or that people should stop voicing their opinions or that people shouldn’t unite via the Internet. I actually believe the complete opposite, and I personally know I am constantly reading what I see on social media, curious in all of the other perspectives out there and amazed by the new thought leaders that emerge from it. But I make a conscious effort to only do that AFTER I read up on in on my most trusted news platform. Why? Because I feel like today, most people don't know what most people are talking about, but most people are talking about stuff anyway. I know, seriously confusing and frustrating process.
Let me explain: for someone who may not know all the facts, for someone who turns to social media to learn the latest stories, they are left to try and piece together their beliefs based on the crazy tapestry of ideas that their peers or favorite celebrities weave. And though being aware of what the people you are connected to believe in is very important, distinguishing what YOU believe in is the most important task you face as an active citizen. So this leads me to my main point… EDUCATE YO’ SELF, PEOPLE!
Everyone is talking about what’s going on in our crazy, messed up country/world/universe, and ultimately someone is going to turn to you for your thoughts. In order to provide truthful and valuable insight, you need to learn how to educate yourself on what in the hell is happening right now. You don't want to be at brunch with your friends after hot yoga, and for Becky to ask you “How do you fell about what happened in Dallas?”, and for you to not really know what actually went down, so you just regurgitate what that one actor from a show you love tweeted about it last night, a tweet that you just happened to glance upon while binge watching Netflix and eating leftover Chipotle. That, my dear friend, is not your own thought. You may agree with it, but that’s not entirely what educating yourself is. Taking just a moment out of your daily agenda of #slaying to look up the hard facts about one event, then from there forming your opinion on it, is the BEST skill for an individual to have, especially in our screwy society right now. Going wherever the super-persuasive tides of social media take you can lead to you supporting a cause you don't really even get the whole scope of, or one that you don't really feel strongly about, but sounds good to you at the moment, leading to apathy down the line. Every single person who has a social media account is prone to this, and I am not saying that doing that makes you wrong in any way at all, but it is a trap that a lot of people fall into that eventually leads to the spread of information that isn't exactly 100% accurate.
If you do not know why you’re seeing pictures of the same people in police uniforms or mugshots or rainbow ribbons or why some chick named Gretchen Carlson is in your “Trending” box on twitter, look it up! Find a news source that works for you, that offers the accurate facts - preferably an unbiased media with writing that you can easily read and process (which I know can be challenging these days.) Find something not opinion based so you have a bottom ground to then build up from. Your second step is to then see what everyone is saying about it, after you’ve established what you believe in, to get every view of the story besides your own. After all, when we are taught in school about history or important leaders and events, we don't learn about the teacher’s view of them. We read the textbook, then determine what we personally think of them, then have the discussion with our teachers and peers.
I struggle with this all the time too, especially since I am constantly looking for things to write (and argue) about. But I have found the places I go to find my fact-driven information, and I avoid voicing my opinion on things I don't know as much I can know about them. Now I’m not going to tell you where to get your news, because that’s your job to figure out and tailor, but I can offer some advice on how to get your news. Subscribe to a daily news email list for a basic run down on what has most recently occurred, sign up to receive texts about breaking news, or simply subscribe to a online newspaper (students usually can get a good discount on this).
Don't get lost in the sea of hashtags. Social media is a fantastically insane thing, but learn how to navigate it so you can truly and accurately educate yo’ self. Be the one who knows what they are talking about, is sure of what they believe in, and is willing and eager to contribute to the worldwide conversation that never, ever ends.
As always, stay woke, my friends.
