Liberal Filer Bubble

I partake in the forensics program here at UNL. For those unfamiliar with the activity, in the most simple way possible, it is a bunch of college students seeing who the best speaker (there is so much more to it, but if I were to get into it all then this post would be entirely too long). However, while I do love the activity and everything that it has taught me thus far I am able to see the faults in some of the norms surrounding it.

I have met some of the most intelligent people I know in this activity, and as a result, I have learned more about social issues in the last few years that I have in my entire life. It seems that everyone that competes in forensics is liberal (to some extent), and while I am in no way saying that those who identify as conservative are unintelligent, due to the nature of the activity those with liberal views are often brought to the forefront. This idea of highlighting what we want to see is exactly what a filter bubble entails. In this activity people deem liberal or progressive views as the ones to listen to and conservative ones less credible, and as a result ignoring them completely. It can even go as far as people who agree with right-wing ideology ending up quitting the activity due to the other-ing nature of it. We as a group of individuals are deciding what we want to see or accept, and what we don't.

As a person who identifies as liberal, I not free of blame either. I will admit to ignoring or brushing over words that I don't agree with, however, that is not how progress is made. Change happens through conversation and dialogue, not one person fighting to prove to another why they are right and the other is wrong. If we continue this act, especially in the heat of our current political climate, no real change will ever occur.