With the 2016 U.S. presidential election season in full swing, it seems as if there is only a minimal amount of students who genuinely care and are interested in politics and the results of this election.
The lack of student attention toward the election truly surprised me because the outcome of this election will have a direct effect on all of us. When talking to most people near my age, I was shocked that many are not even registered to vote.
We are lucky to live in a country that grants us the right to vote at age 18 and it saddens me that not everyone is taking advantage of that right.
With the millennials being such a large group, it is time to use those numbers for good and affect change in a positive way. Politicians even specifically target the millennials in hopes of getting their vote because they know what a powerful group we are.
Although many of the issues being discussed by the presidential candidates seem irrelevant to our generation, they will not seem that way in a few years when we have graduated from college and are facing the real world.
A large roadblock in getting students excited about voting is that many students believe their vote will have no impact on the election.
Many believe their one vote will not make a difference in the long run. However, if all citizens regardless of their age thought that, way then no one would vote at all.
Students are currently in a position of power.
The candidates want our vote, and it is time students use that to their advantage to help invoke change.
Organizations such as Rock the Vote encourage students to get out and make a difference. Rock the Vote directly targets the younger generation and uses pop culture, politics and technology.
“Millennials are over 80 million strong and growing. With that mass, we represent a voting block that can and does swing elections,” reads the FAQ section of Rock the Vote’s website. “The youth vote is a huge force for social change. We are the most diverse generation yet. We are passionate about the issues and we give our time to causes we care about and issues that inspire us.”
I have also heard some of my peers say they do not want to vote because they are uninformed and are too lazy to inform themselves. Others say politics is too confusing or boring for their liking.
Whether we like it or not, politics is present all over social media. Social media makes politicians and information about the election easily accessible and easier to understand. Politicians use social media to spread the word about their specific beliefs and about their campaign in general.
All students should use social media to help them stay informed throughout this election season, in order to make an informed decision on voting day.
Regardless of whether you support the Democratic Party, the Republican Party or neither, every single person in our generation who is eligible to vote should use that power for the greater good.
Inform yourselves and make a decision you can confidently stand behind.
