Social media, since its invention, has become an outlet for troublesome groups and their fringe opinions. These outlets have become increasingly polarizing over the years, and it’s no mistake. In ever increasing numbers, talking heads have chosen social media as the battleground for the hearts and minds of the American people.

Last year was the beginning of the long haul towards the presidency, and while political pundits have provided no end to our entertainment, there is a darker side to the state of American politics. The fact that Trump has only risen in the polls has stood as testament to the distrust that American citizens share for the government.

As James Madison said (Federalist #10) “When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” In other words, a majority party (or any form of majority) is bad not only for the rights of citizens, but the nation as a whole. We are now facing such a threat to our way of life. The majority now is a lot of misinformed (or simply uninformed) voters who are prone to listen to whatever they want to hear.

Social media has, in some part, contributed to this downfall. The flood of information has drowned many onlookers in falsehoods. As this happens, more and more people will believe these falsehoods to be the truth. When this happens (and Madison himself was wary of this scenario) we will not only see a breach of the freedoms of American citizens (and this is indeed already happening), but essentially a downgrade in innovation, science, and art as more people forgo education in search of lighter pursuits.

Make no mistake, all this will continue to happen regardless of your opinion or political affiliation. However, there are some things you can do in order to keep yourself informed. In this age of information, reading seems like an empty gesture, but studies show time and again that those who read succeed more and fail less than the national average. Reading is the answer to the problem of social media.

Of course you may still use your phone, but reading challenges the mind and is a necessary pursuit in order to further the reaches of your knowledge. Reading is, essentially, the mind opener. It expands and creates instead of narrows and destroys. When the Nazis burned books, when religions burned books, the world was dark, now technology is set to replace and destroy books, and that scenario cannot be allowed to happen again.