I didn’t care much about politics the past couple of elections. To me, staying indifferent in political affairs protected my peace and that’s always how the majority of my closest friends felt as well. However, more and more recently we are faced with politicians that want to take away the basic rights of humanity, and along with them the peace of our nation.
During a conversation with a friend about our indifferences on politics, I admitted that I’m not voting because I don’t really know what’s going on other than the bare minimum and I don’t trust my judgment in such a serious matter. I don’t believe much in either candidate, one more than the other but that’s besides my point. I don’t feel comfortable voting for someone I don’t have faith in, I refuse to “choose the lesser of two evils”.
When asked why or why not she thinks that younger people will be more inclined to vote in the 2024 election, Buck’s Political Science Professor Kaiser-Goebel says, “The problem is that a lot of people do not want to be bombarded with terrible news and/or things they just do not believe.”
Feeling I have limited choice is completely a self-inflicted problem I and many other young voters have brought onto ourselves by not voting in the primaries. As I get older, I do feel more inclined to keep up with the state of the world and the effect our country has on it. But if this newfound concern is a gift of aging, why is it that young people tend to remain indifferent until pushed by the hands of the clock to give a damn?
While I personally am not voting in November due to naive ignorance, it is hard to ignore the shift in energy towards the upcoming election fueled by the youth of America. Kaiser-Goebel believes “that this election is seen as more important than others because we are bombarded with commercials that say ‘unless you vote for this candidate, x will happen.’” With the advancement of technology comes overconsumption of ads. The typical American sees upward of 10,000 ads a day, living in a swing state such as Pennsylvania during an election year, politicians are no strangers to advertising themselves.
After I confessed my political stance on the election, my friend explained why they’re choosing to vote, saying, “voting for a president should be a selfish decision overall” and that is why Kamala Harris is the right candidate for them. Harris is looking out for the middle class and women’s rights.
Harris’s social media campaign is also trendy, to say the least. Her endorsements are often referencing current pop culture, like “Brat Summer”, and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” themes.
These reasons could very much have a significant impact on how young citizens of America vote and how the presidential election will play out. Do we have the power to decide who the next President of the United States of America will be? Democracy says so, but how much power does the younger generation truly hold?