Here I sit, in June of 2016, the presidential election just months away, still unaware of who I’m voting for. This is my first election that I’m eligible to vote in, and I’m so uninformed yet overwhelmed with publicized Twitter fights and petty debates, ultimately distracting me from getting the information I need to choose who I think will best govern our country. Nowadays, we’re too focused on the Twitter memes of Donald Trump’s combover to realize what’s at stake. It’s finally our time to make a difference and decide who will become the next president. We need to consider our views and put them in perspective with the candidates, and spend less time trying to broadcast our best Hilary Clinton jokes to get retweets.
I’m not saying that social media isn’t a good way of getting information; I just believe it's distancing us from the truth. We see information on Facebook and automatically assume it’s true, yet the bias in articles nowadays isn’t hard to spot. The one-sided arguments are convincing but fail to see both viewpoints. Today so many people are quick to hop on the bandwagon that seems the most publicly acceptable, the option that will lead to less social isolation. They’re afraid of the harassment they might face for having a controversial opinion. The truth is that everyone should have their own justified opinion regardless of the comical effect social media has on politics.
Due to our engagement on social media, candidates have used that to their advantage by getting involved on sites like Twitter and Facebook. An article on GovTech.com explains that “social media’s influence in this presidential election is stronger than it has ever been.” It’s not hard to see how much social media is affecting our opinions on the candidates in this election. Rather than relying solely on the candidates' statements, we still are influenced by the opinionated statements of others. The Twitter memes, altered pictures, and political witticisms are using humor to publicize issues in a sometimes false way. Social media is both beneficial yet misleading in this presidential election.
Despite how hard it is to try and form an individualized and unwavering opinion in today’s society, I believe that’s what will lead us to make the right decision. I’m doing my best to form my opinion by finding the information that is most credible and trustworthy. Since this is my first opportunity to voice my political opinion to my country, I’m going to take it seriously and make the best decision I can make.
