Youth Incorporated Magazine

In times when the establishment is failing, doctors are breaking down, the sick are gasping for breath, people are missing the chance of saying a final goodbye to their loved ones, and coexistence stands in jeopardy, staying indifferent and forming no opinion shouldn’t be a choice.  

Weren’t we all taught that communicating and exchanging ideas and opinions leads to change and the forming of solutions? In the years before 2020, not having an opinion was a choice, but now, it shouldn’t be. The world is fighting one common battle today, and at risk is everyone’s existence. The battle isn’t anyone’s alone, it’s everybody’s and thus each one of us must have an opinion to share. 

It is not just the evil of the pandemic that the world is grappled with, but the political and social turmoil is also at an all-time high. Right from violence spurring out in West Bengal post-election at the national level, the rising level of racial discrimination and hate, to the surmounting tension between Israel and Iran, we need to think about where we are headed as a society and what can we do to make it better or at least less bad. 

Yes, it is necessary to think about what you can do to better the situation, any situation, because believe it or not, no matter where injustice is happening, it does have an impact on your life. You surely cannot solve national and international problems directly, however, you can choose to become a part of a certain narrative or dialogue that is most likely to spark a change. 

Social media is the strongest tool at everyone’s disposal today. It has provided a platform for all to put forth their opinions and strike conversations with people coming from various backgrounds. Unlike earlier times, when the mainstream media needed to be approached to make the establishment hear people’s voices, social media has done away with this by providing every single person with a strong and independent voice. History has evidence that the power of social media has indeed shaken down mighty governments. Besides, it has become a storehouse of content, information as well as misinformation. Therefore, if you wish to find out about a particular event or controversy, social media will provide you with the data enabling you to further dig into the matter, educate yourself and also steer clear of rumours, misinformation, and incorrect influence. 

To be able to form opinions and have a certain say over a particular issue, it is essential to access news from various publications to get a holistic understanding of any topic. Look up for expert opinions and what the other common people like you, think and then based on your conscience, form opinions. Only and only when you are confident about sharing your opinions, go ahead and put it up online. You must recognize that someone might counter your opinion or disagree with you. That is okay. Be open to constructive criticism and further discussion. While you do this, make sure to be polite and ethical and do not engage in hate comments or dialogues. Choose to agree to disagree but also make your opinion heard. What this does is, it forms a certain nature of the narrative. Moreover, when you start forming opinions and have discussions with your social circle, you also encourage your peers to actively participate in current affairs and form opinions as well. Those sharing similar opinions are most likely to also inform others in the network leading to the generation of public opinion. When this happens, the people in authority are alerted who can definitely act and react upon it initiating some kind of change.  

When people like you and me, who are the most significant members of the global society, start raising voices and hold establishments across the world, accountable, we perform our duty of being a responsible citizen looking out for the overall good of each and every being irrespective of one’s nationality, caste, creed, religion, sex, social standing, etc. 

Having an opinion in these times when the world is caught in a whirlwind, is going to put the system under the radar and force them to serve the community in the right manner.