It is now more so than ever easier to share your thoughts and feelings with the world. All you have to do is push a few buttons on your phone and all of your friends are given your two cents. I had always thought this to be something completely amazing. Words, we have been taught, can change the world. One thought provoking article can change someone’s entire view. We live in a time where a tweet can now start a revolution, and a live stream on Facebook can now instantly show us police brutality that would have otherwise been hidden. To have such a flow of information all around the country means that reactions and opinions form instantly.

There are many of us young people who seem to take this platform for granted. Do not think I am shaming our selfie culture or anything of the sort. I have never been more proud to be a millennial. Our generation is responsible for connecting people who never would have found each other if it weren’t for Facebook. Communities of people who once thought they were alone in the world can now find solidarity with others on the internet. We are learning how to use technology for the greater good.

But we are not there yet.

In fact, judging from the content of my Facebook wall, I’d say we still have a long way to go. We’re making steps in the right direction, but now it is time to make the final few bounds.

If all you do is complain that the people around you are not educated on a topic, educate them. Sure, post a few selfies and a cute video or two, but don’t forget what is happening all around the world. The more people who post about the injustices in this world, the more awareness spreads. Ultimately, our goal is to eliminate ignorance. Even if all someone sees is your tweet, your Facebook post, your article, then at least they have some idea that the world is not all cat videos and drama between some girl and her boyfriend. Maybe someone out there is scared to say what you’re going to. Maybe they think they’re completely alone in that idea and your bravery to speak your mind will give them courage to start something.

Your words have the power to create real and effective change. Thanks to social media, you no longer have to be a reporter or even a college graduate to start something that can captivate the world. All it takes is the time and hard thought to form real opinions on things that matter. Shares are something valuable in our lifetime, so why are they being wasted on TV shows and make up? They are nothing but distractions from real life.

Yeah, you can take the easy way out. If you want the prestige of something you wrote going viral, then by all means cop out and write something meant for mass consumption. The public is willing to widely devour anything that means not having to take a cold, hard look at the world, but is that who you want to be? Do you want to be a writer with no substance, no drive, and no real voice in this world?

Now is the time. Look at the world we’re living in. This election cycle means more to our generation than any other one has before, and sharing your opinion is as easy as opening an app. So stop your narcissistic penning and become a real person.

You have a voice. You have a platform. Most importantly, you have something to say. So say it.