Ah…the most wonderful time of the year. Summer is in full swing, the beaches are full and so are our hearts. Summer is time for relaxation and great company…but some years, something else creeps into that lovely summertime bliss. Politics. You know, everyone’s opinions shamelessly trumpeted on social media? The grumbles of disgruntled citizens, in disbelief that anyone could possibly see something other than their own logic.

It’s refreshing, really, to engage in well-educated and civil discussions on our differences as individuals and our ideals for society. You know what isn’t? Bad journalism with a side of ignorance. In a world where the Internet has become the best and quickest go-to for interface between candidates and voters, to an unsettling amount of people one old adage rings true:

“If it’s on the internet, it must be true.”

Think about it for a second. How ridiculous does that sound? I mean, c’mon, you didn’t really believe Aunt Bethel has seen Bigfoot three times today just because it was posted on Facebook. What’s stopping the same people writing about Bigfoot from writing about politics? There’s no honor code of Facebook Journalism, so everything must be taken with a grain of salt. With that in mind, here’s some advice to the politically engaged on social media.

Avoid Sensationalism

If the title has something like, “They said nothing would happen. Until…” or it’s a website called “Conservative” This or “Liberal” That, you can guess that someone’s pushing an agenda, not reporting facts. Treat those like the “Lose weight fast with this one weird trick!” or “You won’t believe what these celebs did!” articles. Ignore them.

Identify the format

If it’s in a clickbait style article, it probably isn’t reputable. This applies to sites that want you to “Like” their page on Facebook in order to read the content. It also might be riddled with advertisements, or have a slideshow format. These sites are just trying to cash in on advertising money - at best they regurgitate reputable news sources, at worst they sell you on baseless nonsense.

Check the sources 

Sometimes, satirical articles get passed around Facebook as the real deal. If you’re not familiar with "The Onion," learn to love it. Sometimes, it rings eerily close to far right/far left news headlines. Also, make sure those sources are diverse and credible! It pains me when journalistic authors refer to their own articles and organization as support for their current argument. Of course their coworkers agree with them! Well-researched and factually based articles will include some concrete data and a wealth of sources. You won’t get away with using your mom or your kindergarten best friend as a reference for a job; don’t let authors use their organizations (or even themselves!) as a source.

Think critically

Are the references valid? Would you interpret the cited source the same way the article author did? It’s easier than ever to backtrack the steps of writers. Click the link and see for yourself! It can’t possibly hurt to get closer to the source.

Strength in numbers

If I find a particularly wild headline or claim, I like to copy and paste it into Google to see what other news sources are reporting on the topic. Usually, this is a quick way to weed out any heavily skewed articles. If the news is as groundbreaking as the rhetoric leads you to believe, I guarantee the article you’re reading isn’t the only one covering it.

Don’t generalize

There’s always going to be differing opinions. In civilized discussions, it’s best not to attack the character or identity of the other participants. This completely ruins any point you might have and really makes you look like the bad guy. Don’t be that guy. No one likes that guy. As a wise person once said, “you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”

Above all else, I encourage everyone to harness their political engagement in a very specific way – voting. Contrary to popular belief, reblogs, likes, and retweets do not in any way contribute to the electoral process. If you have no idea where you stand, try taking the quizzes on ISideWith.com. It’ll tell you how you align with each candidate's positions and provides great personal political insight. It’s by far my biggest tool come election season and really forces me to consider my own viewpoints before anyone else’s. As far as Election Day, college students can request an absentee ballot if scheduling or distance prevents you from getting to the polls. This is also really great because you can do it on your own time and look up issues that you’d like clarification on.

Following these steps and participating in your local, state, and federal government will only increase your civic pride and political comprehension. Get educated, and get out there and vote! Good luck navigating those treacherous newsfeeds, and I hope to see you at the polls.