“Brace yourselves…political posts are coming…”
If you rank the worst times to be alive on social media, election season is clearly #1 with pumpkin spice season following closely behind it, with “I’m at the Kid Rock concert!!!1!” coming in at a not very distant third.
You see, some people use social media to engage, some use it for comedic relief, while others think their meaningful memes are going to sway public opinion. Yea, I’m looking at you “Mr(s) Political Post Every Freaking Day”…
Over the course of my 24+ years being able to vote, my position has changed. I have gone from one end to the other and back. But here’s the reality – was it ever because of a meme I saw on the Facebooks? Was it a Tweet I saw from “Bu$hiz$ataN20495”? Or was it because I evolved, grew up a bit, saw the world differently, or just because I liked his/her haircut?
This is the reason why some public places have signs up that say “NO POLITICS OR RELIGION PLEASE”. It isn’t because you shouldn’t talk about those things, but the immediate hate and vitriol people have that your opinion isn’t of theirs.
Example, if I walked around Detroit today with this shirt, I almost bet 95% of the people that saw me would instantly hate me, a few might say some things, I might get some middle fingers and choice words thrown at me and maybe one or two high-fives.
Is this what we’ve come to as a society? Think like me, be on my team, or I immediately hate you?
Want to see the bottom of society? Go look at a Detroit News or Free Press Facebook post that mentions Governor Snyder, Trump, Bernie Sanders, or Hillary Clinton. The hatred and anger that are spewed would make a biker blush.
I saw a video where Wil Wheaton (of Stand by Me and Star Trek fame) spoke on trolls where he said it doesn’t upset him because he realizes now that the statements being made are a direct reflection of the person saying those things.
Look at what happened to Keith Olbermann. He left a good job at ESPN to be an op-ed political pundit at MSNBC. Fast forward a few years and he went back to ESPN, which was short-lived because he alienated half of his former “base” of supporters because he went political. This is what happens when you post memes, and trash, and garbage comments all day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or anything else you are able to. You aren’t changing anyone’s mind, you are simply alienating half of your friends, acquaintances, family, etc.
But again, just because a guy isn’t the same political party as you means you can’t listen to him talk about the Yankees?
Or even worse…you don’t piss anyone off or alienate anyone… because you’ve unfriended / blocked anyone who doesn’t think exactly like you do, which means you’re just babbling in an echo chamber. Maybe you enjoy the “YEAH!!!!!!1!” posts, and likes and shares…but here’s the really big reality that nobody likes to admit: if you can’t rationally and logically defend your position and ideas without resorting to swearing, name calling and blocking the other party, then you’re really not in a position to be spewing out those ideas and positions in the first place.
So we are begging you please, don’t be that guy.
Now go read something else: https://itinthed.com/read/