Is it possible to follow someone on social media and disagree with their political views? Maybe you follow them for a different reason, such as fashion, memes, skits, educational videos, or more, but don’t necessarily agree with their political views (or aren’t aware of them). This has become a pressing issue within the current political climate in such a diverse and wide country like the U.S., due to the lessening of one’s privacy on social media by many public figures due to their choices in content creation.
This has also raised an important question, especially due to the current agendas and issues such as women’s reproduction rights, climate change, freedom of speech, gender identity, and much more, to just name a few. Where is the limit between endorsing something we think is completely wrong (even by following someone, or buying their merch) and being respectful of other’s opinions, allowing us to co-habit with a diverse population? Let’s dive deeper into the topic.
Should I Follow a Content Creator Who Has Opposing Political Views?
As the election campaign has taken a sharp turn since Biden retired from the race, with Harris now representing the Democrat party, there has been an uproar in public opinion, especially on social media.
For some, especially influencers and social media creators, this has prompted them to use current events for content, using Kamala’s campaign and the change in the election as a way to make funny skits, jokes, or memes (i.e. The Kamala Coconut Meme), subtly and indirectly displaying their preference while making these responses.
Many creators choose not to display their political opinions – to avoid an unnecessary politicization of their page – but the current change of events has caused a bit of a wanted or perhaps, unwanted, domino effect due to the new content.
As many discovered previously hidden political views of some creators, who created content devoid of politics, hate comments and unfollows flooded the comment sections, which sparked heated political discussions. But is it really necessary? As two main political parties rise in a nation, should one be deemed totally wrong by the other – to the point they believe one could bring the nation to ruin – shouldn’t the two parties be able to co-habit?
Is it Fighting for Your Beliefs or Is it Discrimination?
The rift we are seeing in the U.S. has brought the current political climate to such tension that the conflict is instant, and violent, unfortunately sometimes escalating in real life, such as hate crimes and violent protests, even internally, like we witnessed during the shooting at Trump’s rally. Is the reason for this stark polarization due to the politicization of social media (think about ex-Twitter, now X, directly hosting political campaigns), to the point where politics seem to divide people regardless of context, or is it due to the types of politicians and agendas present in the system and the fear of the voters?
While I do believe that the current sentiment is also due to the types of politics – think about Biden’s slurred speech and fading presence or Trump’s frequent unsavory and unfactual statements – I do believe that the over-politicization of social media and relationships is an unhealthy sign of culture. The inability to cooperate between political sides, even in personal relationships, leading to discrimination and the inability to interact or unfollow people based on a political side, should not be endorsed.
Why Has Polarization Become the Norm?
Sometimes the indignation or choosing to unfollow is right when it violates the values of the person – such as not promoting an influencer or a public figure that openly discriminates against a race, or that believes in misogynist, hateful, or racist agendas and so on – but we are seeing a completely different phenomenon here, one that I believe is dangerous.
We are witnessing, in a way, the dehumanization of people who participate in different political sides or views, to a point where anyone ‘different’ is labeled as an extremist in the eyes of the opposers. For example, a Republican is labeled as an extreme Trumpist or raging racist, when many disagree with his views, and there are many moderate Republicans. Democrats are labeled as communists and leftists that promote dystopian views, or that endorsed Biden’s ability to run for another term, while many may disagree or are moderate, and have personal opinions that do not align with what a Republican might think. Is everyone extremist or are extremists the most likely to speak out?
There is a lot to reflect on when it comes to judging political sides.
A Reminder for Difficult Times and Difficult Conversations
So I ask again, can Democrats and Republicans be friends? Can we see each other as humans with personal opinions and views? Can we ask before we discriminate? Above all, can we recognize that politics has its space and that we should not assume one’s views and beliefs before knowing them, first of all, as a person? Politics should foster, and not hinder, relationships.
It seems like a hard thing to do, nowadays, to be respectful, especially due to the way social media platforms are engineered to produce engagement. This is also due to the politics in action – or the news that brings people to act based on fear before fact-checking. We must remember that, before reacting, behind algorithms, data, and engagement on social media, we are, first of all, people, and we should keep it humane.
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