“I hate politics.’
‘I don’t really have an opinion on this.’
‘The issues don’t matter to me because I can’t vote.’
These are all phrases I’m sure all of us have heard and many of us as high schoolers have said. It’s awkward to have opinions about controversial topics, and so a lot of kids tend to skate over political issues to avoid offending anyone. Plus, politics don’t really matter to a bunch of kids who can’t vote, right? So, why care?
I once thought the exact same way. I hated the idea of talking about politics and having discussions about our country’s leaders. I felt like even if I did care, it didn’t matter because I’m not even old enough to vote. And if I was old enough to vote, I was just one person. What’s the point in having political opinions if you feel that your one vote is not going to make a difference.
Going into this school year, I sort of dreaded my Government class for these reasons exactly. I had no interest in discussing uncomfortable topics with random classmates, and I had pretty much no interest in the US government as a whole. No part of me was excited for Government class, but after only a week of discussing policies, campaigning, election seasons, and the candidates themselves, I was hooked. The way Ms. Parkhurst had us discussing topics wasn’t uncomfortable. Everyone was open to hearing what others had to say. Our conversation were fruitful and enlightening, and I genuinely enjoyed learning about what makes America special as a country.
I believe that as Americans, we tend to take our political freedom for granted. Many citizens think that our country is too binary and our politics are too extreme to be fixed. But, that’s so far from the truth. We have so many opportunities to change our country because American citizens can express their political views freely. The individual just has to be willing to stand up for what they believe in. So few countries in the world allow their citizens such substantial political freedom, so having conversations and exercising the right to vote is important because it’s a privilege to be able to have an opinion.
With the election results in, things may seem hopeless or like politics are no longer important to discuss. So, why should we care about politics?
The truth is that staying informed and up to date about the country that you’re living in is important at any age. Whether or not you say you care, politics affects everyone in this country – and caring enough to have and express an opinion is a privilege, so taking advantage of that is vital to the sustainment of the principles upon which America was founded.
It’s important to make sure that when you are gathering information about politics that the sources you use are credible. So many people – especially high school students – use social media as their primary news source. Social media is not necessarily trustworthy because many influencers and websites use extreme language, short sentences, and opinionated statements to grab the attention of social media users. In order to have a full idea of politics, it’s important to not only look at multiple sources, but also to look at credible ones. Keep in mind that every site will have some level of partisan bias, but Reuters and the Associated Press are great sites to start with when looking for trustworthy information.
Staying up to date with the politics in your country is hugely important, so stay safe, gather trustworthy information, and make sure to be respectful of people from all political beliefs.