The Divide

The White House

Now, many of you who are reading this have likely come from my social media presence, so what I am about to discuss is something you may have noticed and experienced firsthand. To me, I firmly believe that social media can be a remarkable platform for connection and expression, but like anything else, it can be a tremendous blessing that, when misused or misunderstood, unfortunately transforms into a curse. This is simply my opinion, but I sincerely believe that both the Democratic and Republican parties have contributed to creating an environment of social norms where extremism is prevalent, with individuals aligning far too closely with the far-left and far-right extremes rather than thoughtfully engaging with each issue on its own merits. There often never seems to be any common ground, and to be perfectly honest, it’s a bit embarrassing to witness the way our society struggles to coexist peacefully. Instead of evaluating the various issues on a case-by-case basis, everything is unfortunately categorized into neat boxes defined by Republican and Democratic viewpoints, which are then selected based on party allegiance rather than individual perspectives.

A lot of times, when I engage in conversations with various people, I notice that discussions frequently take an unexpected turn, and individuals often feel compelled to throw a shot at a particular Republican or Democratic party viewpoint. I usually cringe at these moments because, honestly, I could’ve lived without hearing such divisive remarks. Ultimately, it just highlights a certain level of close-mindedness that is unfortunately prevalent. One significant issue I constantly observe is that people often see a catchy caption on a social media post and decide to repost it without first taking the time to read the entire article or understand the complete story behind it. Different news media outlets frequently craft sensationalized titles on their stories to portray a specific message that they want their audience to feel. It’s important to acknowledge that many titles and media representations can be misleading, leading to confusion and frustration among the public. Now, the rational person would ideally approach news with a healthy dose of skepticism, considering how it applies to their daily life before moving on with their day. However, we are confronted with news that literally has the potential to “cause” people to riot, destroy cities, and disrupt functioning events in countries around the world. Yet, we must understand that all media is essentially a form of propaganda, whether it casts a positive or negative light. There is usually a specific message that is being portrayed, and it is crucial for us to remain aware of this influence.

IIn my opinion, it is incredibly important that artists and creators actively speak out about this pressing issue and bring much-needed awareness to it. Unfortunately, we have far too many so-called “artists” who simply fall into the norm of following the crowd or the party line. At various points, these individuals may even contradict themselves, stepping on their own toes in the process, which ultimately undermines their message and impact. It is crucial for genuine artists to maintain their integrity and use their voices responsibly. So, I would strongly encourage all of you to take the time to think critically for yourselves and use social media as a platform to be a positive, inspiring, and outgoing role model for others.