History has a long past, hence why it is called history. However, as far as historical records show, it is impossible to say that no society has ever been immune to social bias. It affects everyone and everything around us, dating back as far as human kind can remember. Although humans have had thousands upon thousands of years to eliminate social bias from society, it is as prevalent as ever around the world. Social bias is a local, national, and global epidemic that has been plaguing societies for generations. Social bias consists of stereotypes and prejudice, with the combination of the two creating discrimination. It affects all groups of people, large or small, but it does affect some more than others such as African Americans, LGBT’s, women, Muslims, and even cops. It is important to understand what social bias is, specifically discrimination, before delving into the topic at hand. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice formed from stereotypes. That last sentence alone is an example of how the three social biases intertwine with one another. Discrimination can lead to frustration and anger in the victim and could result in the victim being enraged at the person or group who caused it. Because of this, the victims anger can lead to this very person discriminating the person or group who discriminated him/her in the first place. Social bias is this endless cycle that has made it near impossible for anything to be done to halt or reduce it. To be specific, it can lead to unequal pay, denial from jobs, social exclusion, and simple mistreatment in general. These outcomes can create ignorance about a community and a generalization of a larger demographic. Whether intended or not, the effects result in the loss of self-worth, political disempowerment, and economic inequalities. Encountering individuals of a different culture should be used to embrace and encourage diversity, however that is not always the case. During the era of social media, it is increasingly evident that there are many contrasting views on discrimination and how prevalent it is in society today. There is the belief that discrimination has taken a huge dip in the modern age and is something people no longer need to focus on. However, before it is possible to make a conclusion about whether or not social bias is relevant today, it is crucial to look locally. Social bias is all around us, especially locally, and how we respond to discrimination as locals is crucial. Columbia, South Carolina, a place close to many, has fallen victim to the issues that plague many Americans today. The longer social bias continues to affect people in the United States, and around the world, the more the problem will grow. Social bias is a serious issue among United States citizens, specifically African Americans, LGBT’s, cops, Muslims, and women, so we need to take the necessary steps to reduce its negative impact on others and provide equal opportunities for all. 

As far as historical records show, it is impossible to say that no society has ever been immune to social bias. It affects everyone and everything around us, dating back as far as human kind can remember. Harold Fishbein wrote on the origins of social bias and argues that it is firmly rooted in our genetic code and has been influenced by individual and cultural factors throughout history. Kang Lee takes a different route and explains that infants are heavily influenced by the stimuli around them which can lead to social bias in adulthood. To pinpoint an exact cause of social bias is difficult because there is no exact source. To know what causes it, we need to know where it began. However, social bias dates so far back in human history that to say where it exactly began would be unreasonable. What we can do is look at the history of the United States to help us understand what caused it and how it may have started. The first time the United States was witness to out-right discrimination was during the rise of the KKK after the Civil War. Never in American history has there been a group like the KKK that put discrimination on the national stage. This spotlight encouraged many others to demonstrate their social bias as it slowly became the norm in many regions, especially the south. The effect of the KKK on society can still be felt today. Social bias has manifested itself in multiple ways as society has advanced. For example, social bias was prevalent two hundred years ago through slavery, while today it can be seen through social media and other platforms. Although humans have had thousands upon thousands of years to eliminate social bias from society, it is as prevalent as ever around the world. It is an epidemic that has been plaguing societies for generations. It is important to understand what social bias is, specifically discrimination, before delving further into the topic at hand. Social bias consists of stereotypes and prejudice, with the combination of the two creating discrimination. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice formed from stereotypes. That last sentence is an example of how the three social biases manage to intertwine with one another. Discrimination can lead to frustration and anger in the victim and could result in the victim being enraged at the person or group who caused it. Because of this, the victims anger can lead to this very person discriminating the person or group who discriminated him or her in the first place. Social bias is this endless cycle that has made it near impossible for anything to be done to halt or reduce it, hence why it has been prevalent throughout all of history. To be specific, it can lead to unequal pay, denial from jobs, social exclusion, and simple mistreatment in general. These outcomes can create ignorance about a community and a generalization of a larger demographic. Whether intended or not, the effects result in the loss of self-worth, political disempowerment, and economic inequalities. Going back to the KKK example, their goal was to impose the previous three upon African Americans across the entire United States. No matter what time in history, Social Bias will have these effects on individuals.   

As society advances, one would think that the issue of social bias in society would slowly become less and less of a problem. However, that has not been the case. We live in a day and age where we can connect with an individual who is thousands of miles away in the matter of a second. Although this type of connection should allow society to appreciate and love other people’s religion, ethnicity, and sexuality, all it has done is separate us further. This consistent occurrence of social bias in society seems inevitable and is almost exhausting to try to stop or at least reduce. The problem is only going to get worse before it gets better. The question is: how much worse can it become? This instant connection with other people may hinder us now but any great thing takes time, and the human population is adapting to it slowly and is currently in a trial period that will not last forever. Every year now, citizens in the United States will make the same statement, “it’s 2017, you shouldn’t say that” or “it’s 2017, that’s no longer okay”. There is this common trend in society today that as we advance as a species all of society must be treated equal. However, it has been reiterated so much that now, “it’s 2017”, has become almost nothing more than a joke. It is as if some of society has slowly given up on any chance of equality and no social bias. The upside to this is that the more inequality is discussed, even if it may be discussed as a joke to some, it remains prevalent in society. People all over the United States deal with inequality and social bias every day. It affects the way they live and how they go about their life. It affects women who work as hard as men but are not payed equally. It affects the LGBT community and the opportunities that are taken away from them in society, such as joining the military. It affects African-Americans who are pulled over on the side for simply being black, with many of them now fearing for their lives when they are pulled over. And finally, it affects even the cops who pull these African-American citizens over, for these individuals are now widely mistrusted among African-Americans. To a point, individuals are fearing for their lives because of social bias in society. There are limited arguments to made against the prevalence of social bias in society, so an argument can be made that any group of individuals experience social bias. There is a consensus in the United States that the KKK is nothing more than a bunch of uneducated racists. However, on their end they feel that they are being poorly represented by society. In their minds, the KKK feels that what they are doing is for the benefit of society. So, if society were to reduce the problem of social bias, would that include the KKK? We live in an era where the mass opinion is the opinion that almost everyone will follow, so it would be a shock if people started to respect the KKK’s views on society and African-Americans. While social bias may affect their lives, they are using social bias to affect others. Another interesting argument that can be made is that the white male does not experience social bias like many others in society. To some they are the most privileged class of people in the United States. Especially right now with all the sexual allegations that are coming out against many famous white males. Many are wondering and can’t believe how some of these men made it 30 plus years until they were exposed by society. It has been attributed to the power that white males have had and still currently possess in the industry. In the next twenty years, it would not be surprising to see a serious power change among men and women in the industry. However, some have even questioned, such as Roland Merullo from the New York Times, if all these sexual allegations are completely true or uncalled for. He says that some of the men most certainly deserve the treatment they have been receiving as of late. However, he questions if some of these men have been falsely accused. With so many men being accused of sexual allegations, it is easy to start to believing that every single one of these men did something to a woman. Merullo argues that in the next couple of months it will come out that some of these allegations were uncalled for as well as false, but they will not be covered by any major news outlet. In some ways, it is a witch hunt of white males. However, to say that they deal with social bias like others in society is not an accurate statement. Others must worry for their lives, while white males simply shouldn’t put themselves in the situation to be accused. Eliminating or reducing social bias will not be an easy task, for many experience social bias in different ways. Regardless, social bias must be stopped because it is stopping people in the United States from living the “American Dream”.

Social bias goes against the most fundamental values of a modern society. In fact, it is a threat to democracy as equality for all is a cornerstone of it. Democracy recognizes the worth and the equal rights of everyone, and the idea of equality is what prohibits discrimination towards others. The United States will never accomplish true democracy if social bias is affecting the lives of its citizens. Stopping social bias will not be simple, but it starts with every single person in the country making the effort to halt it. With the knowledge of it being difficult to suppress, some people choose not to address discrimination and when it happens they decide to go around discrimination and ignore it. For example, some avoid disclosing their gender or sexual orientation to prevent discrimination against them. Discrimination is dehumanizing and when someone treats someone differently solely based on race, gender, or age, they are ignoring the value they have as an individual. After attempting to achieve equality for decades, it is understandable for some to believe that all efforts for it are futile. At this point stopping social bias is time-consuming, exhausting and costly. That is why it is time for everyone in the United States to make the individual effort to reduce social bias. As a society, the United States has already recognized that social bias is a problem, which is vital first step. However, a problem like social bias that is so large and overbearing cannot be solved without the individual action of its people. Citizens must be aware of the epidemic that social bias is. No longer can there be bystanders who only watch social bias unfold. If enough people make a daily, conscious effort not to discriminate, it is possible for real societal change to take place. However, to ask the people of the United States to make this immediate change is false hope. While that may help somewhat reduce social bias currently, it will not have a long-lasting effect on society nor will everyone make the effort. They key to a thriving society without social bias is to raise our children to accept everyone for who they are. Discrimination has occurred for many reasons over time and one of them being parents raising their children to believe and think the way they do. The one thing society can do about it is to raise our children to not discriminate and stereotype against others. The beginning of the end of social bias starts with each other. If society can raise the future generations to be accepting and loving, we stand a real shot at eliminating social bias. Society should set up organizations, programs, or communities to help build a better plateau to rid of it. Since social bias is such a massive issue, the best thing an individual can do is to start locally. The local area Columbia deals with massive amounts of discrimination, especially as one of the few cities in the United States that is divided almost 50/50 among whites and blacks. As a local, it is important to be aware of the issue and to make small but consistent efforts to reduce social bias. Some efforts include: Never again saying anything negative or derogatory about anyone if it is out of that person’s control, be more than just a bystander –act on it, practice the type of behavior that your children should embody, and choose your friends carefully because those who discriminate should not feel loved if they are making it so others feel worthless. While some of it may seem extreme, it is some of the necessary actions that need to be taken by every person in Columbia and around the United States. As a society, it is crucial to make those who discriminate feel as if they are achieving nothing in doing so. It sounds counter-intuitive, but in a way society must discriminate against the discriminator. Give them a taste of their own medicine in a way. At the end of the day, all people can do is wait and give the end of social bias time. It has been going on for centuries upon centuries and it has only gotten worse, but as a society we are as close as ever to solving it. If the human species expects to live over a long period of time, people must first accept others before we are fully able to conquer any other issue put before us. A society that works together and accepts every person for who they are will learn to thrive beyond anything society has ever imagined. 
