EDITORIAL: Posting Isn’t Protesting

Belmont Vision MultiMedia, Zach Watkins

I had the privilege to help cover Nashville’s No Kings protest on Saturday and spent the day running around asking people why they were there and what they hoped to achieve by protesting.  

Because I bounced around different locations the entire time, I feel like I got a good sense of who was there. More importantly, I noticed who wasn’t there. 

A variety of people from different generations were there but there was one age group that was noticeably absent.

Generation Z.

While there were some Belmont students present, the overall lack of attendance from people my age was disappointing to say the least.

With how much I see my peers posting their distaste for our current president’s policies, I expected to see them putting their frustration into action in the form of protest.  

I did not see that. Instead, I saw several people I know reposting pictures of the protest on Instagram later that day. Mind you, they weren’t even there.  

This isn’t the only time I’ve seen this happen though.   

Every few months, a political issue makes headlines and people my age go up in arms on social media to show their distaste for the state of things. 

I’ve seen this with the Black Lives Matter movement, the war in Ukraine, school shootings, Gaza, homophobia and every social movement in between.  

As well intentioned as people doing this might be, it largely does nothing.  

According to a 2020 study, reshares on social media amplify political news, but they do very little to alter political beliefs or mindsets.  

However, social media reposts aren’t the problem, they’re just a symptom.  

The problem is inaction. 

It’s no secret that we live in an age where people are constantly inundated with information just by opening their phones. It can be overwhelming and it’s easy to just shut it out for your mental wellbeing. 

Even easier, you can share a post about political issues to your peers and congratulate yourself for doing your part. I too am regrettably guilty of this at times. 

Unfortunately, though, a post isn’t going to solve problems and ignoring an issue just makes it worse. 

In a time where real-world interaction has become an increasingly valuable currency, the best thing anyone can do to enact change is to go out and do something. 

It doesn’t have to be a protest. You don’t even have to do something political. There are opportunities out there every day to make the world a better place.  

Volunteer at a food bank. 

Tutor a kid from an impoverished community.  

Make small talk with strangers. 

Go support an immigrant owned business. 

Try to understand those who believe differently than you, and actually listen to what they have to say. 

Change doesn’t happen by tackling everything at once, it happens when everyone tackles their own proverbial slice of the pie.  

So, to those my age who might be reading this, I say this: what’s going on in our country right now can and will affect your lives and those of your friends and family. That’s just the nature of politics.  

If you care, please take action to make this country better. It’s when we give up that we truly lose. Reserving your engagement to social media is giving up, at least in my book.  

So, don’t just post about how someone should do something to make change, be the person that does it. 

- 

Written By Nolan Russell