In light of recent events, particularly the 2016 presidential election, social media has become more prevalent than ever. Press, both positive and negative, has been a vital platform for politicians and the general population to spread ideas. One media outlet in particular, Twitter, has recently undergone a regressive change. Formerly known as the meme capital of the Internet, graced with Ellen Degeneres’s selfies and Chrissy Teigen jokes, Twitter has become a vehicle for hatred. Feeds filled with anti-Trump rants have become the unfortunate norm in a society that supposedly advocates for unity. As tensions grow between right wing and left wing, the development of social media has fueled Twitter into becoming an over-politicized, negative influence on the wellness of Americans.

The plethora of negative political messages on the social media platform has reached a new extreme. “Not my President” tirades litter one’s home page, dominating the now atypical lighthearted jokes and news. Though many weeks have passed since President Trump’s inauguration, the complaints have not simmered down. Average citizens, as well as celebrities, have joined the trend of openly opposing conservative politics on the Internet. While constitutional rights do provide freedom of speech, the line between what is beneficial or detrimental to society is often ignored, subsequently spreading unnecessary hate.

“All of this negative attention towards Donald Trump is only disbanding society,” said junior Jordan Strasser. “We are supposed to be coming together, not tearing each other apart based on political views. ”

One may argue that Trump’s frequent controversial actions provide justification for the abundance of politically-themed tweets. Executive orders, including the highly contentious travel ban and its subsequent legislation, are indeed newsworthy. However, news outlets exist for the sole purpose of communicating such news in a civil-minded way. Once news sources output information, the people must respond responsibly and appropriately. Instead of immediately logging into a Twitter account to either support or reprimand the President, a healthier alternative is to calmly discuss opinions in a way that promotes conservation and development of ideas. When relying only on 150 characters in a text box to communicate an entire thought, the true meaning is often lost in translation. Misinterpretation leads to backlash from other users. Whether one is a Trump supporter or opposer, political tweets often lead to tension and inadequate response to what should be civilized opinion.

“All I have seen recently on Twitter is liberals attacking Trump supporters for their views or vice versa,” said senior Matt Hand. “Nine posts out of ten are political statements or a response to one. I log on to Twitter for amusement, not to get involved in someone’s political agenda.”

Considering the prevalence of politics in modern society, the issues ravaging the nation are important to learn about and discuss. However, social media, particularly Twitter, is not the place to have in-depth political debates that more often than not end in slanderous language and offensive, ad hominem attacks. Society will most benefit from leaving political agendas apart from national publication and returning Twitter to its glory: irresistible desserts, ironically funny memes and hilarious one-liners made to entertain.

“The only interesting thing I have seen on Twitter in months is Young Thug’s Wyclef Jean music video,” said junior Jordan Iobbi. “I miss the days where I would laugh out loud at a tweet. Let’s get that back.”

No matter how dark the political world may be, fans of Twitter will always log on in hope of finding some light.