Take it With a Grain of Salt
Alita Barnett-Herrin Basu
Parents and teachers tell you to not believe what you see online. When they do, you just nod your head, but you don't actually take in what they're saying. You keep scrolling, and you keep seeing things that look true, and reliable. What a lot of people my age don't realize is that the internet is biased. So are your parents and friends. Even the news can be biased. So you have to find what's real for yourself. I believe that you have the responsibility to do your own research before you believe in something, and you should take other peoples opinions with a grain of salt.
Everyday, I hear people in school talk about politics. They talk about what their parents said, or the tiktok they just watched about world events. They speak to their friends about these things, and they are so sure of themselves. Then their friends say the same thing to other people. Then the whole class is talking about it. And none of it is true. People don't really know about politics, but they see a political ad or influencer on social media, who they think is a trusted source just because they are highly regarded in a specific political sphere, and they believe that person. People might not know that what they're saying isn’t morally right, or even factually right. They just say it because they think social media is the truth.
Sometimes, people my age don't get it from social media. They get it from their parents, because their parents’ beliefs are all that person knows, and they don't want to go against their parents. So they say they believe it too, even if it's the opposite of what they think. Your parents and friends are not trusted sources. They could be saying things that aren't true. It’s important to take their beliefs into account, sure, but they don't have to be your beliefs too.
It's not like I don't have these experiences too. I do, all the time. But the difference between me and other people is that I don't just believe what I see. I actually do research. From a credible source. Not a political tiktoker or a news source that is infamous for bias. I actually learn what's real, and then I say it. When you see something on social media, and just assume it's true, you could very well be saying something you don't actually believe. Something that is far different than what you think. But when you get your own opinions from what's actually true, that's what you really, truly believe. I think everyone should do their own research. I think everyone will be happier, and everyone will be kinder, if they learn what is true, and not what is taught to them for a society filled with bias and lies.
Writer's Statement
I wrote about doing your own research on political subjects and taking things you see on social media with a grain of salt. This topic is important to me because I see a lot of people my age talk about politics, but they don't actually know anything about what they're saying. It’s just what they heard from their parents, and from social media. I understand what this is like, because I used to have the same problem. I would say things about politics and the world that were untrue or just horrible things to say, and when I realized I was wrong, I would feel really bad for spreading lies or hate.
My process for this essay was pretty complicated. This was the first topic I had in mind, but I chose not to do it because I didn't feel comfortable using a personal experience. I didn't want to share an experience I had that was deeply rooted in my own political beliefs, because I didn't just want to share that unprompted. While we were doing most of the work before our first draft, I was doing a completely different topic. Then, as we started on our rough draft, I realized I didn't like the topic I was doing, and that I wasn't as passionate about it as I am about this topic. I spoke to Emily about wanting to change my topic back to the first one, but not having a specific experience. She said that it was okay for me to not use a specific experience, but to keep some personal detail in there. That's what I did, and I'm so happy I chose this topic to write about.
I chose this topic because I hope that people can learn from me. I believe that what I chose to write about is a serious problem among people my age, and I think everyone should be educated on what they speak about. I chose a tone that wasn't super serious, but not super playful either. I wanted to make it kind of casual, so that it could appeal to people, but also serious enough to make its point. I hope that readers will feel called out if they have done this, so that in the future they can be more responsible and understanding. I didn't find much inspiration from the essays we read in class, so I wouldn't say my essay is really inspired by any other TIB essay I've read.