How does it feel to live in a world where freedom of speech can be overshadowed by the ridicule that comes with having an opinion? By definition, an opinion is “a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.” So based on that, an opinion is personal. An opinion is tailored to each individual person. Simply put, an opinion is a belief. And who are we to decide that one person’s opinion is more or less true or false in comparison to our own? There is no way to gauge the truth of a belief because it does not exist.
Over time, it has become easier to voice one’s opinion, specifically through a social media outlet. With advancements in technology, it has become typical, and in some ways expected, for people to share their views on current events or pop culture gossip regardless of whether or not it was asked of them. These comments travel the web at an almost instantaneous rate, and for what? So that someone living on the coast of California can tell a citizen of Virginia that their “argument is invalid” or that their “opinion has no factual basis”? According to the definition of an opinion, it doesn’t have to. Now this is not to say that everyone should post about every single thought they have ever had. Everyone has seen at least one argument over the Internet that has started with a random comment that was not preceded by anything on the topic. The simple fact is, some people are just looking for a fight.
As people, we have a right to an opinion, and it is not our job to criticize others for what they believe in. As soon as someone has a view that doesn’t align with our own, they become the enemy. It almost becomes a contest to see which person can prove their point the quickest and the best. This has become so common that even public figures and celebrities partake in the banter over social media. Anyone is able to reach someone within seconds over the Internet, and there is nothing stopping them from making their opinion blatantly known to the world. More often than we would like to admit, this leads to cyber bullying that can greatly affect people. According to GuardChild, a website dedicated to children’s safety on the Internet, “more than 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online during the past year.” 40 percent is an alarming number that shows how easy it is for young people to be reached over social media. And to think, all of this trouble can start over someone just having an opinion.
As humans, we are programmed to form opinions on topics or occurrences based on our own personal preferences and experiences. Everyone does this, and yet we still find ways to judge others for their beliefs. We are a flawed species, and these tendencies will not go away. We become defensive if someone does not agree with what we think and sometimes, this escalates into anger. We have the freedom of speech for a reason. It is our right to be able to speak our mind, and hopefully one day, we will be able to do that without the fear of being put down by others.
