The current 2016 presidential election is probably the most contentious one ever. One of the main reasons for this is social media. Anybody and everybody can now engage with each other in seconds and voice their opinions and debate among themselves.
Facebook is probably the largest social media entity that sees endless Trump bashing and Clinton cursing. Supporters of both sides go at it furiously with each other.
There are left wing groups and right wing groups who fan the flames of this election fire and stir everyone up into further frenzy. Countless posts that were started merely to have an open-minded discussion have escalated into furious debates and arguments.
It’s very easy to allow yourself to be sucked in by all the hype and negativity. To get carried away and stressed out over the comments and posts is more common than most people realize.
Media outlets thrive on sensationalism and negativity. These are the requirements to stand above the noise and get attention… and the media will go out of its way to twist facts to suit their agenda.
These posts are then shared all over social media encouraging people to become angrier, emotional and stressed out. The best thing that you can do if you find yourself constantly upset and angry over what you read will be to avoid all social media sites.
Here are a few good reasons why you should do it.
Emotions Are at Boiling Point
It’s good to feel strongly about the issues and the candidate you’re voting for. Like Plato once said, “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”
So being interested in politics and voting for the right candidate is the smart thing to do… but that’s really the only thing you need to do.
You do not need to engage in debates on social media to try and convince others that your candidate is better and theirs is worse. On social media, emotions are usually high and the speed of interaction and relative anonymity make people interact harshly and boldly.
You don’t need this unwanted stress. You really don’t.
Discussion Tends to Lead to Disagreements
It’s extremely common to see harmless posts encouraging discussion where someone merely states an opinion spiral into an online bar fight with supporters on each side using strong words on each other.
Once again, unnecessary stress. Steer clear.
Most of What You See is Biased
Almost all news reporting on social media is biased. Some posts are false but being passed off as truth. Sorting fact from fiction is a full-time job. You’re better off listening to the debates and seeing how the candidates respond to questions, etc.
Getting your info from the horse’s mouth is what matters and even then, they’re probably lying or stating things in a way that paints them in the best possible light. So don’t stress yourself out over social media news.
Disengage from Drama
Social media can be summarized in one word – drama. It abounds with drama. Drama causes stress. Disengage from drama because there really is no point to it… and if you really stopped to ask yourself, “What in the world do I get out of all the stressful political nonsense that I encounter?”
The answer will be nothing… You gain nothing except maybe higher blood pressure levels. Isolate yourself from social media if it stresses you out.
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” – Groucho Marx”
