My Three Rules for Posting About “Controversial” Topics on Social Media

One of the things I often heard when I was a student was how mindful (read as careful) we needed to be about our use of social media. 

I would hear warnings about how prospective schools or employers are watching, and the potential negative consequences about sharing or posting about controversial topics. There’s some real merit to that, as whether it is publicized or not, some places do use info found online about a person to influence decisions like hiring, admissions, or other access points.

I’ve heard that it is best to be apolitical on social media, and that it is unprofessional to post about anything that could be considered controversial.

Initially I didn’t know why I was so challenged by this warning as a student. As I continued to grow and develop a deeper understanding of systems of oppression, I came to realize that I was challenged by the labeling of posting about topics that could be “controversial” as “unprofessional” because doing so ignored the existence of systems of oppression. It ignored the reality that being apolitical is not an option afforded to many.

"People who say they aren't political, have the privilege of thinking they're not, and for me, that's not an option." – @martinesyms

— Culture Lab Detroit (@CultureLabDET) October 6, 2017

My three rules for posting about controversial topics on social media: If you’re going to share something, make sure it aligns with your values, be ready and able to defend it, and be prepared for the consequences.

I am not a “neutral” educator and I believe that everything is political. Attempting to be apolitical is to make a choice to ignore the lived realities of people with marginalized identities. The students I teach are often pursuing studies in Social Work, Education, Healthcare or some other form of human service; areas where they come face-to face with people whose lived experiences of oppression because of their identities are directly connected to institutionalized policies that create the disparities in outcomes they face.

When I talk to students about posting on social media, I tell them that if they are going to post something; be it a statement, an article, video, etc that in some way raises awareness about the lived realities and conditions of people with marginalized identities, but could also be seen as “politicized” by prospective employers and other potential entities that could offer them some opportunity, to be ready to defend what it is that they write, record, or share.

I use these rules myself in regards to my own motivations for blogging and sharing across social media. I believe that everything we post sends a message, and each message is a call out of sorts to people and institutions who can hold space for it. So when I write or share about white supremacy and why race matters, or about cissexism or why class matters, among a host of other topics, I’m reaching out to people and institutions who can hold space for, and value the message and conversation, as doing so is consistent with my own values.

There are consequences for refusing to be apolitical, one of which being that some folks might decide to pass on inviting you into an opportunity because your messages might be seen as disruptive.

When I think about “disruption”, I recognize that not everyone is able to “turn it off” or “let it go” in the same ways, if at all. I think of Dr. King’s message on creative maladjustment; the understanding that there are some things that we shouldn’t get used to, I always ask myself “at who’s expense is the false level of peace attained by silencing the “disruption”? It’s also a matter of knowing myself as well because I wouldn’t thrive long in an environment that saw social justice education, knowledge sharing, and advocacy as an inconvenience.

My three rules: Does it align with your values? Can you defend it? Are you ok with the consequences, whatever they might be?

If you can answer yes to those three questions, then press on!

Ubuntu,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins-Jones

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