If you open up your social media homepage, one thing you are likely to see is an ongoing heated conversation about something that someone shared their opinion on. 

X, previously known as Twitter, is a hotspot for debate. Tweet something and someone will have a response. Instagram posts can be flooded with users going back and forth trying to convince one another that one is wrong and the other is right, especially regarding pop culture.

Obsessed fans will spend so much time defending celebrities that don’t even know they exist.

People will post things saying, “Unfollow if you don’t agree.” I’ve also seen “We can’t be friends if you don’t think this is wrong.” Regardless of the context, everyone should feel entitled to their opinion without feeling like they’ll lose all their friends just by sharing their thoughts. 

If one side can explain nonstop that they love something, I should be allowed to say I dislike it. No one should feel obliged to censor their opinions because others don’t agree. 

I remember in high school, after Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance, all the girls were talking about how it was one of the “best” performances ever. 

In one class, a guy shared that he did not like her performance. He felt that because she was pregnant her performance was limited in terms of what she could have done.

Some girls in the class immediately claimed he was misogynistic and started taunting him with her music every time they passed by him.

Why should he, or anyone for that matter, be left out and criticized for their opinion? We’re all entitled to our own opinions and should respect an opinion that differs from ours. 

Acknowledging the opposing opinion doesn’t have to result in a nasty debate. We can listen to it and move on. Maybe we can even learn something new from them.

For example, I’m sick of hearing about Taylor Swift and seeing her everywhere. As I’m writing this article at Barnes & Noble, I’m surrounded by her music playing on the speakers above me and girls across from me talking about her. There’s even a table full of Taylor Swift magazines.

Aside from her appearances everywhere, she’s a contributor to climate change thanks to her private jet use. She may not be number one on the list for emitting the most carbon emissions, but when you bring this point up online, Swifties are ready to attack. 

I should feel free to say this, regardless of what the Swifties are going to say. 

Can’t I just point this out? We don’t need to discuss it, it’s just something I’ve noticed from someone who is also advocating to help the planet.

Yes, people will have something to say in response, but I shouldn’t care. But I do care because very few will share controversial opinions. 

As college students, we should respect differing opinions, not just online, but also with the people we meet. In an environment, as diverse as school, we’re bound to cross paths with people who will disagree with us. 

We shouldn’t immediately criticize or isolate a person for their differing opinions. College is the time where we learn more about ourselves, hearing out other opinions may lead us to learning something we wouldn’t have otherwise known. 

Social media places pressure on everyone to think a certain way. 

If you don’t agree with the popular opinion, I encourage you to share it. Let us stop feeling that we need to adhere to one way of thinking.