I have never been a super political person. I do not consider myself to be an expert on politics. After all, this November will be the very first presidential election that I am able to cast my vote. However, I have always been excited for the time to come when I would finally have this opportunity to have a voice, and now that it is finally here, I have been doing my best to pay attention and keep myself informed. And watching this election unfold has certainly been quite an interesting experience, to say the least.

The details of this election are everywhere. The media, never missing a beat, cannot get enough of the endless drama of this presidential race. One place coverage seems to be missing, though, is from the people I know.

I’m not sure exactly when political stances became such a taboo subject to talk openly about, but at some point, these stances became a topic that some people are scared to speak about. Certainly on social media outlets there are those who never post anything political. For these people, I believe it’s due to lack of interest, politically divided audiences, or just plain annoyance over the sharing or mention of politics.

Everyone has their reasons. After all, it is completely up to you what you chose to post for the world to see. But, in my opinion, there should be no lack of interest in politics. This is your country, where you will spend your time, where you will exert your energy. You have a chance to have a say, an opportunity for some input. Take advantage of that. To those that are worried about their friends and followers sharing a different opinion or political view: don’t be. There are ways to voice your opinion respectfully, and as long as you do this, no mature person should have an issue. If, for some reason, they do, well, there is an unfriend button and they can choose to use it if they wish. Lastly, to those who experience anger or annoyance over any public mention of politics, my question to you is why?

I’m not sure if it’s because this is my first election, but for many reasons, this election seems more important than others. When I see people posting about being bothered by political posts, I find myself disappointed. Why does it bother you that someone is sharing what they believe in? Why is it frowned upon to actually talk about something that matters?

Maybe an article was posted about the candidate you don’t support. Read it anyway. Maybe there is a controversial comment made in a video about the candidate you love. Watch it anyway. This is how you learn. Most times in life, and especially in this election, ignorance is not bliss.

As the election continues on, I find it harder and harder to accept the fact that some funny cat videos or some pointless twitter joke about the Kardashians has more shares, more views, more likes, favorites or importance to some people than articles or videos containing vital details about the individuals who are competing to lead this country. I can’t seem to wrap my head around the idea that people spend solid amounts of time using these outlets, and rarely get anything substantial out of them because they ignore things like politics that are crucial and even sometimes life-changing.

By no means am I saying that everyone should go out and post articles or thoughts from random, unreliable sources, or that people should post even if they have no desire to. Some people are perfectly content watching that cat video over and over, and that is okay, but I just ask that they don't instantly become angered when political comments arise on their feed.

I believe we cannot afford to be quiet in this election. I believe that we cannot afford to not pass on important information. I believe that we cannot afford to keep our opinions hushed in hopes of keeping other people, who may have different opinions than us, happy.

Be political. Be educated. Be open. Be kind. Be someone who uses their voice, online, on the ballot, everywhere. Speak up and vote.