This age of technology has made them even more pervasive with things like social media the providing places for anyone and everyone to shout and argue about their views.

It can be an awful lot of noise.

It’s one of the reasons that I find the daily Opinion page in the Daily Herald to be so refreshing.

Every day when you get to that page of the paper, you know you will find viewpoints in the forms of political cartoons, letters to the editor, guest opinions, national commentary and local editorials.

If you are like most readers I’ve talked to, there are probably some of the perspectives that you really like and others that you completely disagree with (as well as many that fall somewhere in between).

Which is exactly how I believe it should be.

Occasionally I have someone tell me or email me that they hope I never run another column from a certain columnist or that they don’t like the tone of one of the writers or cartoonists.

In response, I explain that to me the whole point of printing opinions is so they can present a variety of different ways of looking at things.

It’s OK if you don’t like what one says or think they are wrong.

In fact, it’s healthier.

One of the underrated issues we have in a world of algorithms is echo chambers, the fact that digital mediums try hard to keep you engaged by only showing you want they think you want to see.

But what about the things you need to hear?

What if my views or your views are wrong, misguided or incomplete?

How will we get a more complete perspective and allow our understanding to grow and evolve when all we are shown is what some clever tech folks think will keep us hooked?

That’s a void that gets filled a little bit by this Opinion page.

Some views are more conservative, while others are more liberal. Some are harshly critical while others are glowingly complimentary.

But there are some constants that you can always expect to see:

First, these aren’t knee-jerk reactions.

They are provided by individuals who have taken time to think through the topic they are addressing, including frequently doing research, then construct their arguments into a coherent piece and have it looked at by editors.

Whether they are written by professionals or just local citizens, you can be assured that the process has required more of their time and thought than in the vast majority of social media posts.

Second, this isn’t about popularity.

Nowhere on this page do you see the numbers of likes or shares. There is no spot for the latest comments from others. A letter to the editor might address a previously-published column but it will show up in a later issue, not instantaneously.

So what you end up with is a focus on the substance of what is being written without the constant distractions you deal with elsewhere.

Finally, what you are getting is a snapshot of how someone else views a particular issue.

Whether you agree or disagree with them, as part of a community (local, state or national) it’s critical that we take the time to attempt to understand how our peers see things. It provides perspective and understanding that you don’t get without analyzing someone else’s views.

The reality is that the topics addressed are complicated and nuanced. Taking one action to address a certain challenge will have other consequences, some of which will probably be negative.

Writing an opinion is a chance to express why someone thinks the benefits are worth the cost — or not worth the cost. It’s a chance to try to evaluate ramifications we see or expect to see.

As you read the opinions and break them down based on your own experiences and ideals, you enhance your comprehension of the range of challenges we face on so many different levels.

So keep reading. Keep analyzing. Keep agreeing and disagreeing. Keep evaluating.

And, when there are things you feel strongly about, please keep submitting your letters and guest opinions to be shared with others in our Utah Valley community.

It’s what this page is all about.

Jared Lloyd is managing editor of the Standard-Examiner and Daily Herald.