Social media.
What is it good for?
The answer is many things, actually.
In recent times people have flocked online to debate politics.
They talk about the recent events that our politicians and presidential candidates have brought into fruition.
We now go online to discuss the latest controversial debate topics.
But how do we know where to turn to get the true unbiased stories that we want?
Where do we turn to have true unbiased discussions that don’t create fighting? And how do we know if we are using proper etiquette when expressing our own views?
Using our spidey senses to find our political home
When looking for a place to get all of your political news or to have friendly debates with other people, it is vital that we look at all views that are expressed on the site.
Look for a site that has articles, threads, or podcasts from all political parties.
A site that has a predominance toward one party typically favors that party and may not be completely unbiased.
Look through the comments to ensure that there are no rude remarks and that if there are they are being corrected.
Determine if the site is regulated or if, like Facebook or Wikipedia, people are allowed to post what they wish.
Though it may be hard to find places that are completely unbiased, there are some out there.
Is it important to keep up with the latest in politics?
Keeping up with the current events, candidates, and politics is vital for us to do.
This allows us to have an informed opinion.
Reading other people’s views and the words of all the candidates allows us to see outside our own views.
It is through talking and paying attention that we create a balanced and informed society.
If we do not keep up with political events we do not know the truth of what is going on around us and the chances of us making the wrong choices in the voting booth become higher.
Our government and those we elect have the power to make the economy, education, healthcare, and many other social issues better or worse.
It is up to us, as voters, to determine who we want in control to ensure that our country runs smoothly.
In the long run, ensuring that we are well-informed is a vital part of keeping our country running the way it should.
Using proper etiquette in an unbiased realm
Once you have found a place to debate politics, share your views, and keep up with the latest in politics you should be mindful to help maintain the polite and unbiased atmosphere.
Keep in mind that everyone has different views of how they feel the country should be ran and what they like or don’t like.
Allow others to share their views without judgement or retaliation.
Do not assume you are always right on any controversial debate topics.
Sometimes just hearing someone else’s point of view can teach us something we never knew — even if you are smarter than them in other areas.
Do not take anything others say as a personal attack.
Ask questions and challenge ideas — anyone can fall victim to false information, even the most well-informed.
Call out potential misinformation in such a way as to educate, not downgrade or dismiss others.
When you can not reach an agreement with someone the phrase “let’s agree to disagree” can be your best friend.
Remember, we are all out here trying to come to the same point, stay as informed as possible and makethis country great.