It is human nature to have differing points of view from each other. Since the dawn of humankind, we have disagreed on everything from what makes you happy, what food taste the best, what form of government is the best….the list goes on and on. Now, some of us are more opinionated than others (not me of course). Those throughout history who have been the most outspoken (e.g. Galileo, Socrates, religious authorities, etc.) have been met with many critics and sometimes even met with death for their mere opinions!
If you are reading in this in the United States today, luckily for you, you have freedom of speech. (With relative limits of course.) Yet, given it is 2016, one important event of historical significance occurred as of recently: the creation of social media.
Today, with platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr one can share their opinions with the rest of the world with one click of the mouse. People can now share their most coveted thoughts and beliefs with the world for better or worse. Why am I writing about this? I’ll tell you why:
A few days ago, I decided to post an image because it made a point that I agreed with. I truly believe that many in the White Community do not understand that the Black Experience is different than the White Experience in America in ways that are still discriminatory and racist. So, I shared it and went on with my day.
Lo and behold a few days later, I saw a comment speaking some, let’s just say unkind words about the post and myself. From there, the number of people chiming in with their two cents grew…. With both sides (those agreeing with the post and those against the message of the post) vehemently going back and forth about who was correct.
I typed in a comment to try and ease the tension, but it only got worse! From this, I asked myself, what good does it do to post your opinion o social media platforms if no one really is trying to have a thought provoking argument where they see if they can learn anything? If you really want to share your viewpoint and believe in it, will you really change anyone’s mind through a computer? Will you really do any good besides getting affirmation from those who agree with you and condemnation from those who disagree with you? For I have always believed that online social media platforms were a modern form of freedom of speech at our disposal. Indeed, the internet has been a catalyst in spreading new ideas across the globe! Yet, if people really are set in their ways, does it really matter what you share? I will explore how this endeavor can help the fight for a more just society below:
Before starting my argument, let me be clear that any discussion is better had face to face. Yet, when talking about to influence people in your community and the world, social media can be a useful tool……If you choose to, social media platforms are an excellent way to expose others to stories and arguments that they may have never thought of or been exposed to. Even if it does not change their mind, it does familiarize them with a different perspective. Much more important, as recently mentioned, it introduces them to stories of people they may not come in contact with in real life.
Yet, It is IMPORTANT (so important I bolded it for you) that we all realize that social media has its limits! If you constantly preach about how much of a burden you feel for those that are homeless but do nothing to help them directly, you might need to reevaluate yourself. And many of us who posts, including me, are guilty of this. So, let’s all agree that social media is a tool to be used to fight injustice. At the same time, let’s also agree to start being a generation of doing and not just hiding behind the computer screen.
