With the midterms approaching and politics becoming ever more radicalized, it is easy to fall into the divisive trap of the two-party system. Social media has driven people apart, echoing the notion that you are either a Republican or a Democrat. While most people lean one way or the other, partisan news and social media encourage their base to become intensely affiliated with one party, driving a wedge between Americans. These algorithms and business models separate Americans by pushing them to political extremes with articles that negatively reflect the behaviors of one specific party. Democrats will be spoon-fed articles about every macro and micro flaw of the GOP. Likewise, Republicans will see aggressive campaigns against the Democrats. If you’ve ever wondered why half of the country supports the opposition, then you may have only seen one perspective of the political lens. Undoubtedly, the other party shares the same opinion for the same reasons.

Instead of consuming partisan content, one should strive to read and listen to the viewpoints and policies of the opposing party. Rather than isolating themselves from the people they disagree with, citizens should make efforts to befriend and converse with those that share opposite ideas, listening to understand a different perspective rather than responding and refuting. A republic cannot properly function if its parties and citizens cannot understand each other. If you are a minor, you can start building a fair sense of modern politics from something as simple as following a conservative or liberal Instagram page. For voting adults, when the midterms arrive in November, try to remember and consider that the other party has a story to tell.