Yeah, I'm THAT person.
It's controversial. I know. But I do it anyway, and I'm sure there are people who love that and hate that about me.
I've had a lot of people tell me to stop. They say that all it does is start arguments and make people mad. Anybody who knows me knows that neither of those things bother me, so I'd definitely need a better reason to stop.
See, I'm not the kind of person that believes in holding back. If I have a thought and I believe it needs to be voiced, I'm going to voice it. Not everybody is like that, and that's okay. But for my fellow loud-mouths out there, you know how hard it is to keep quiet. That's a gift. If you have a hard time keeping your mouth shut, it's probably because you have something worth saying.
When I explain that to people, they usually say something like, "That's great and all, but why do you need to post it on Facebook?" In this article, I'll do my best to explain why.
Let's start with the purpose of social media: It's a platform. Sure, maybe we've gone out of control with how often we're using it, but I believe that we can radicalize its meaningfulness. Even though it was created to share with our friends, family, and acquaintances all of the cool things that are happening in our lives, I believe that we can give it an even more sincere purpose. Your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. can be whatever you want it to be. Personally, I find it more impertinent to share my view on a recent political issue than a picture of the coffee I bought this morning.
When I was growing up in school, I was always taught that we learn about history so we don't repeat it. I think each and every one of us plays a vital role in ensuring that we don't repeat history. To me, that means speaking out about topics that, while they are controversial, are essential. So many of the terrible events that occurred in our history books happened because no one said, "Hey, Chris Columbus, this is a really bad thing we're about to do", or, "You know, Adolph, this is a horrible, horrible thing you're planning." Staying silent might protect you from public scrutiny, yes. But it only furthers the ignorance of other people, and yourself. I don't want to be a part of enabling society to go on without more knowledge.
Because in the end, everybody will have their own views. You can't change a person's mind. What you can do is provide them with more information, multiple viewpoints, and fascinating perspectives on the topic. I post my political views on Facebook so that the people I know can receive that. Then, when they go on to think about that topic more, they are able to make a more well-rounded decision. That's also the reason why I'm glad other people post their political views on Facebook, ESPECIALLY if they're different from mine. I get to understand more about certain issues when I see how different people feel and get to know their experiences. When people share all of these ideas, it prevents that dangerous, dangerous concept of ignorance.
I'm not saying you have to post your political views all over your social media if you want to be an activist or a good person or anything. What you do online is your choice, and you have every right to use it as you please. But that's not my path. I'd say I'm sorry if it annoys you, but...I'm not. If annoying 50 people meant furthering the knowledge of just one person, I would choose that in a heartbeat. If you don't want to see politics all over your social media, you can simply hit that unfollow button. I won't be offended.
So no, I don't post my political views on Facebook because I'm a loud mouth with no self control. I do it for actual, sincere reasons. Politics, whether you like them or not, are important. Step up onto your soap box with me, and don't let anyone tell you to get down.
