An Instagrammer’s #factrevolution

Need a breath of fresh air from misinformation and biased opinions? There’s an account on Instagram that’s perfect for you.

The account is @sharonsaysso, which features Sharon McMahon, a government teacher who has studied Constitution Law most of her adult life. McMahon is from Minnesota and started her account in August of 2011, but she just started sharing her government insights in September of last year. She currently has 308K followers, having gained an impressive 250K followers since December.

McMahon’s content, which she posts mainly in Stories, focuses on three main messages. First up: “#factrevolution.”

In a post on November 9, 2020, McMahon wrote, “Facts do not require your approval.” She does not share her political affiliation and quotes directly from the Constitution on a regular basis.

She starts each day by sharing a wrap-up of the morning’s news headlines. She then asks, “How can I help?” in a text box, and her followers respond, sending her hundreds of DMs. She spends the remainder of her day posting her answers to Stories. Impeachment, pardons, and the Electoral College are just a few topics she covers.

McMahon’s second goal: Urge her followers to listen to each other with the intent to understand and not respond.

“Listening to understand doesn’t obligate you to agree,” McMahon said in a post on December 6, 2020. “Understanding is power.”

One of her highlight reels features the different views of Conservative and Liberal followers. She regularly gives both sides the chance to respond to a question or statement, posting the anonymous responses for all to see. “Listening to understand doesn’t obligate you to arrive at the same conclusion,” she says. “But listening to understand is so important.”

The most important aspect of @sharonsaysso may be her emphasis on kindness. In a post from December 16, 2020, she wrote, “Here’s an idea: Let’s normalize not acting like a complete idiot online. What would that be like?”

The post continues with nine slides, and each has a suggestion. “Maybe DO put out there what you want to see reflected back,” one slide reads. Another: “Maybe DO show the children watching on Instagram how humans are meant to act in a community.”

McMahon practices what she preaches. After the riot at the U.S. capitol on January 6, she organized a campaign to deliver thank you cards to the crew who cleaned the Capitol so that Congress could return and certify the presidential election. “If you showed up at your job and 5,000 had people sent you a thank you note, wouldn’t that be incredible?” she asked her followers on January 14. “That is what I want.”

Charitable giving isn’t new to the @sharonsaysso community. In December, she celebrated 50,000 followers by collecting Venmo and PayPal donations for families in need. Her original goal was to raise $50,00; she ended up receiving $125,000 instead. She bought food, clothes, gift cards, and more for dozens of less fortunate families.

Oh, and one more thing: McMahon loves animals, especially whales and eagles. Be prepared for random videos and photos of all sorts of animals to interrupt facts about the Constitution and government.

See @sharonsaysso for yourself! Her highlight reels are helpful if you’re new to her account. And if you’re interested in people’s posts about sending a thank you note to a Capitol clean-up crew worker, search for #capitolcleanupcrew.