January 1, 2021

Why I Use My Voice on Social Media

By Ali Caravajal

“I’m not interested in politics” is a common statement I have heard from my friends and peers my age. “You’re too young to care about politics” is a common statement I have heard from family and adults in my life. For me, it is not about this abstract concept of politics. It is about human morality, social justice, and standing up for what I know is right. 

I have seen cute and colorful graphics on social media that read:“If I’m too political for you, you’re too complacent for me.” This statement encompasses exactly how I feel. 

People often question my habit of posting political or controversial opinions on my Instagram. Most of the time, critics are too closed-minded to understand why I post what I post, so I brush it off with a shy shrug. However, this is what I truly want them to know… 

I became interested in politics because I felt I had to. Four years ago, following the election of Donald J Trump, my world as a teenage girl flipped upside down. I was too old to ignore what was going on in the world. Additionally, I was enraged by the vast amount of people who voted to have this man serve in the highest office in the United States of America.

In school, we are taught to glorify and are encouraged to obsess over America, how far she has come, and the success she has brought to so many people. This didn’t add up for me, though. Our country is supposed to embrace all people, treat each other as equals, and provide everyone with the same opportunities, with no room for discrimination. Donald Trump’s rhetoric preached the exact opposite ideals. This wasn’t the America I learned about in school. This was not the country I was proud to call my home. 

As a fourteen year old girl, I did not have much political power. My most influential platform was my 1,000 Instagram followers. While Trump’s reckless behavior increasingly frustrated much of the American public, I began to seek out accounts on social media that aligned with my political views. I started reading newspapers, magazines, and books, and watching the news to educate myself on what was truly unfolding in America. Day by day, my disappointment with the state of our country increased. 

Although the past four years seem like a blur, mass shootings, abortion rights, Charlottesville, police brutality, the MeToo movement, ICE deportations, childrens in cages, and climate change are far from a faint memory. Those were my four years of high school. Those four years undoubtedly shaped my character, my priorities, and my goals for the future. 

I found myself realizing that social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter were at times more reliable and less biased than the mainstream media and news sources. I frequently stumbled across jaw-dropping, fact-based statistics that were not being talked about by the general public. I felt it was my duty to put this information on a pedestal, and to spread awareness about the injustices that were taking place. I hoped that if I took this small step of reposting, that someone else would too. By sharing with my followers, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could teach someone and enlighten them–even if they had previously held different political ideas than me. My goal was, and still is, to educate. 

 Instead of feeling hopeless and insignificant, I utilize social media to express my political thoughts. There will always be skeptics and critics, but I still encourage anyone with a passion to speak up, speak loud, and ignore the background noise. 

Maybe I care too much, and take things too seriously. Maybe it really is out of my power, and isn’t worth potentially ruining friendships and losing followers over an Instagram post. Nevertheless, my beliefs mean more than that to me. One day, when I hopefully take some position of office, I will teach people to understand and to care as much as I do.