Jake Johnson

As social media has become a more prevalent outlet for people to express themselves, it has also become a breeding ground for political opinions. Summer 2020 was a hot spot for diverse viewpoints, with conflicting opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as other political topics popping up on Instagram stories. Some stories led to DM debates and divisive reactions from followers. Jake Johnson, junior, was a part of the many students who posted on their stories this past summer, claiming he wanted to make sure his followers weren’t getting any misinformation.

“With the upcoming election, I’ve seen a lot of misinformation being spread, a lot of fake news going around,” Johnson said. “Through my Instagram story and through ways of communicating with friends, I have tried my best to make sure people get all their information right, and to make sure that people understand the facts.”

According to Johnson, he reposts posts from a diverse variety of Instagram accounts. He said he never wants to post something that is untrue, so he does research on the information in the post before he reposts anything.

“I have posted things from CNN before, [and] I have posted things from Donald Trump’s Instagram before,” Johnson said. “I [want to get my] point across to people to understand what’s really happening, so no misinformation is being spread. And I don’t ever mean to offend anyone with my posts or anything like that, I just want to make sure that people get their facts right.”

Johnson said some people have responded negatively to his stories. He said people respond by using insults directed at him and his beliefs. 

“I do find it common where people will attack me [for] my Instagram stories. People have literally said curse words [or] that I’m racist, just based on what I believe,” Johnson said. “Yet I see that people get to post whatever they want, but when I post something that might go against what they believe, I’m a racist, or I am the thing that they don’t believe in.”

Johnson said people should not strive to change someone else’s opinion on political topics. He said that when people have conversations about political issues, they need to listen and respect the other person’s points.

“You have to come to an agreement with people, because no one is going to change their ways or what they believe, so I think that people need to agree to disagree with other people and that they need to see how the other side sees,” Johnson said. “I try my best to see what they see and I will agree with them and then I hear their argument back, and we have a respectful agreement or argument that is entirely a good talk and ends on a good note.”

As for the upcoming presidential election, Johnson said he will continue doing what he has been doing, using his social media to keep people informed. He said that he will post information regarding the candidates, both of whom Johnson said are not ideal.

“I want to continue to be able to make sure people are informed on what each candidate is saying and what each candidate has come forward with,” Johnson said. “I’m not 100 percent happy with both candidates. Some could call them both idiots, to some people you could say that one candidate could be more of an idiot than another, but that entirely depends on their view.”