There’s been a trend in recent years, a trend that many people call “the power of positivity.” Now, what it really means to have power or to be powerful is a complex discussion that I will save for another time, but I still think we can talk about this idea in the meantime. You often hear people complaining about trivial things; their car didn’t start, someone cut them off in traffic, their waitress brought them the wrong meal, etc. We all know people who seem to thrive on negativity, and focus only on what is wrong with the world around them. To those people it’s easy to respond with something like, “be positive.” Many people argue that there is power in positivity, that remaining positive will change your outlook on life and overall make you a happier and healthier person. But it seems to me that this trend has gone too far, and it leads me to question, is there really power in positivity?

We live in a world that is run by the media. What we hear, see, and think is often dependent on what shows up on our social media feeds. The latest election is the best example of this. There are millions of articles shared about the injustices going on in the world, and sometimes it’s so overwhelming that people argue that it’s dangerous. So, to combat this “negativity” many have distanced themselves from any reality that doesn’t make them smile. We share pictures of puppies and funny memes to “spread positivity.” I don’t think that these things are inherently wrong, but is it powerful to ignore what is going on in the world around you? Is it powerful to use our individual voices and life experiences to talk only about puppies, sitcoms, comedy, games, and other relatively meaningless things?

I understand the desire to remain positive in a harsh world. I understand the desire to read something other than another article about how horrible the world is. But have we not just replaced the trivial complaints with trivial happiness? How can someone genuinely tell you to be positive in every situation you encounter? It’s not possible, and I fear that this belief in the “power of positivity” has led to a disregard for the truth. For example, I don’t think that is appropriate for me to “remain positive” when I know that there are innocent lives spending their time in prison cells for crimes they did not commit. I don’t think it would be beneficial for me to spend my time perfecting my hilarious snapchat story while friends of mine are being harassed and discriminated against because of their race, gender, or sexual preferences. It would be easier maybe, for me to preach about being positive if I were to turn a blind eye to the realities of this world. It would be easier for me, because I have a life that many people can only dream about.

I get it, when someone has complained to you about how shitty their job is, how annoying their professor is, or how much the weather sucks, it’s easy to wish that they were more positive. I often find myself switching the conversation to something more joyful when forced to talk to people that seem to have nothing to say if they’re not gossiping or complaining. But while positivity can help improve small talk, it should not be the reason we turn ourselves away from reality. Human lives are being taken in order to further agendas that are the opposite of positive. Animals are being tested on, consumed, and abused. Children are starving, while others are suffering from the obesity epidemic that has plagued our nation. Diversity is causing division, and words, actions, and policies are being fueled by greed and hate. No amount of buzzfeed articles describing your life in memes is going to change this, and telling someone to smile or to think about how much worse their lives could be is not helpful, in fact it’s just fueling the fire. So yes, look at pictures of puppies when you’re having a bad day, puppies are cute. But don’t hide behind your “power” of remaining positive and pretend that if you ignore reality it will go away. I am positively sure, that it will not, and I am positively sure, that your voice can be used for more than just a funny meme, and that your worth is greater the number of likes you can get by not offending anyone.