Ever read an article that gets you all riled up? What was your reaction? Grab the keyboard and let those you disagree with know?
Usually, the reaction is to engage. By engaging, we are spreading what we disagree with even further in social media! Did you know that?
All social media platforms spread engagement. If you see a long status posted by a page slamming your favorite store-bought cookie and you hit the words "see more" to read the rest of the status, you are engaging.
Related: #RealPigFarming: A Social Media Movement for Modern Hog Farms
When you click on a link, Facebook doesn't know if you are for or against what's discussed at that link. It just knows you clicked on it. It then assumes you like to read that kind of thing so it shares more of that with you and it suggests it to your friends, because if you like it, so might your like-minded friends.
You are spreading information, good or bad. It's a never ending circle.
Ever read an article you agreed 100% with? Your reaction might have been a solid bob of the head in agreement. But you keep scrolling!
Related: Keeping Up With #Harvest14 via Social Media and Hashtags
If you took a few more seconds to share with your friends the story of agriculture on social media, we could turn the tide. We can change what we are promoting and telling social media we want to see more of and what we want promoted to our friends! 'Share' it, 'like' it, tag a friend who might want to read it!
The advantage to spreading what we believe is reaching those that are possibly on the fence, undecided and looking for trusted sources. By engaging with what riles us we are sharing that with these people instead of what we believe.
I think it's time to change the way we engage. While we don't have to block out those who disagree with us, let's share what we know: modern ag works, we love our jobs and we are proud of it.
