Why Your Opinion Will Never Matter

Bombarded by social commentaries, media reviews, and emotional outbursts of random virtual people, we have succumbed to an unending mind-numbing noise.

But to tell you the truth now…Mine is really just going to be another opinion.

The Disinformation Age

Post-truth means that public opinion, based on emotional appeal, beliefs, and views, is more relevant compared to actual facts. Since the roots of free media constantly find its way to link with our everyday consumption, we can no longer stray from this strong opinionated world full of harsh social discourse. For instance, Facebook became a gateway for political polarization, thus, breeding skepticism and indignation.

So, are we now living in a post-truth era? Obviously. But I think the question we should shift our focus on is,

Do people still care to know what’s actually true?

The Hard Truth

If we’re going to talk exclusively about relevant social, cultural, and political issues, it’s hard to accept that there is apparently a greater influence of opinions coming from social media influencers than of facts and data from experts and professionals.

Let’s say you watch an interesting informative video from a seemingly established source, perhaps a “knowledgeable” influencer. They have a pool of content and millions of followers. You subscribe immediately. You started binge-watching and liking their videos. You develop a sense of the world through their eyes. You gain a new set of beliefs and your values are shaped upon theirs. Great! You are now part of their cult.

But then, all the things you‘ve been watching from them were actually disinformation. And this, I assume has something to do with quicker consumption of news and media trends.

Everyone has free will to express themselves. That’s the highlight of the Digital Age. But honestly, it feels confusing to constantly hear a lot of opinions, and then never really get to listen and understand the truth.

Social media is a jungle. It is turning into a superficial world. And I don’t want to contribute to that. If I ever want to express an opinion, I do it with a valid purpose and I state clearly that it is just from my own point of view. But there will always be someone who will judge or even dare to threaten. Technology has its limits when it comes to communication. That’s why cancel culture became a huge issue. How can we understand more about the real world when we fail to read between the lines?

When Opinions Become Important

To avoid heated discussions means that we should never cancel each other for bringing out unintentional false words. Let people apologize for being human. Even all voices want to be heard. It’s psychologically embedded in humans to feel important. Egoism can be a dire need for survival but not enough empathy can disrupt human connections. Yes, modern society is generally extroverted because it feels liberating to have a platform to share a proof of existence.

After all, opinions still matter if there is respect for all parties involved. It will never matter if it degrades one’s value. If you tell me my art is crap, your opinion doesn’t matter. But if you tell me my art is something you cannot understand, your opinion matters. Because I acknowledge the fact that not everyone will understand what I create. See? It makes sense.

But really, in more substantial circumstances such as in news and education, objectivity is fundamental. Factual evidence is indisputable. Our opinions aren’t. Yet we need to learn to empathize with one another when opinions are respectfully expressed. It is also important to be cautious with our content consumption because free media has a lot of windows for us to see. But words from well-known influencers, political leaders, and other public figures have to be unbiased. They have great power of influence and people, nowadays, don’t even take the time to research. That goes for the general public.

However, I might be wrong with that. And my opinion might not matter. ‘You think?