I'm looking for a job. Do I have to scale back my political social media posts?

I won't get through this election without memes.

Do I have to scale back my political social media posts because I’m looking for a job? Could I even control myself with this election coming up? Are these rhetorical questions since I don’t think I’ll like the answers?

I am both a political animal and a cringey over-sharer who doesn’t entirely understand my compulsion to share online. But now that I’m on the job hunt, I’m questioning how every one of my Stories or posts will look to employers.

The thing is, I just don’t know how I’ll get through this election without memes.

With every new nugget of terrifying information about the future of the republic, I become more emotionally stretched. We’ve got to make it to November without losing our minds and taping maxi pads to our ears or turning on our own in an anxiety-induced feeding frenzy. The only way we’ll do that is with a strong sense of humor to balance these feelings of dread.

By design, I’ve worked at places that are aligned with my political perspectives. And because I am principled about where I work, I have been able to be more vocal online about my politics. Sadly, right now, no one is hiring writers. The gig well is dry and AI has replaced me in much of my work. I’ll probably be cultivating a new career entirely in middle age, something that is not recommended in our ageist, misogynistic society. What if my new career isn’t so accepting?

The other day, I saw some horrendous, offensive news and quickly drafted something for my Stories about “hate rallies” and the need for gun control and how “these people are the reason we’re scared to send our kids to school” — you can read between the lines. I didn’t post it, and maybe that’s for the best. I could make my pages private, but content curation is kinda job-adjacent for me, at least at this point.

I don’t want to get used to these horrors. I want to scream about them everywhere, including in social network community with others. We need those feelings and our voices so that we take action. Is posting on social media taking action? Not really. It is a way to communicate with each other though, and keep ourselves connected. It gives us a modicum of control over our circles.

And I do think that we can build community online by sharing our views and our senses of humor. I keep in touch with people and connect with new ones over posts. This election cycle, as I look for work, I’m going to try to mostly use my platforms to push the positive — in support of democracy and expansion of our rights. Check my IG Stories to see if I accomplish this goal, and for a heavy helping of memes and stuff.