Lauren Watts
Reporter
The girl watches her father turn on the news, angry. “How can this be right?” But she is too
young, merely 16 years old. She is two years away from sending her ballot, a slip of paper that determines her voice is heard; but that is not now.
So, what can she do?
“One of the first things that students have to do is not wait for information to come to them, decide if they want to go out and get information on their own, and try to look for sources that aren’t biased,” Mark Stenberg, the AP Government and Politics teacher, said.
Students educating themselves seems to rank number one on Stenberg’s list of things to do to take an influential stand in politics. The information they find can shape their worldviews and the principles they have built them on.
“It is so important for younger generations to educate themselves in politics instead of taking what your parents taught you and just rolling with it. I hope people are starting to learn that they can develop their own beliefs rather than accepting everything that is forced on them,” junior Anna Staggs said.
Not only is education important to people like Staggs, but sharing the information learned
with those who can vote is also. Through public networks, younger generations have an opportunity to alter policies and see changes being made.
“I think the best way to be heard is to use your social media platforms. Social media is where most people spend their time. So what better way to make your voice heard than to use your social media?” sophomore Kelly Morales said.
Multimedia sites are one of the many hubs for political awareness. It gives users productive
ways, such as memes and videos, to share their political opinions and stances. But not every
user on social media is under 18 -- and not every person older than 18 is willing to listen.
Some people of the younger generation feel as though their voices are watered down
because of the number of opinions that are expressed by those who are older.
“Individuals my age are constantly silenced, told that we are too young to have a political view, but now, it isn’t only about politics, it is now about giving individuals their basic human rights,” Luke Pepito, an eighth-grader at Dyersburg Middle School, said.
Pepito feels that despite his and other people’s younger age, it does not mean that they
cannot be passionate about politics. Others feel that adults over 18 have mixed reactions to their involvement.
“[Adults] are either proud that young people are using their voices, believe that young people should educate themselves more before they speak about subjects or just outright ignore them because they don’t take them seriously,” junior Nakaiya Russell said.
Regardless of drowning in the voices of those above them, the younger generations still push to be heard. They fight the currents that hold them back, and strive for a better future: a future that they believe is best for themselves and those around them.
“I used to stay out of politics because I have very different views than my family, but in times like these, it’s important to do your best to make your voice heard. I would encourage anyone who thinks [other people’s] opinions aren’t valid to speak up because they could be the ones who encouraged an adult to vote in the favor of our future,” an anonymous student said.
The people under 18 are still learning that there is plenty to do in the world of politics. They are learning that they can be heard --that in spite of not being able to vote, they are still American citizens.
“Citizenship provides them with liberties and freedoms, but it also carries with it
responsibilities,” Stenberg said.
And as the girl still watches the news, she comes to the conclusion that the power of her
voice is not determined by her age, but by what she chooses to do with it.
Photo courtesy Generation Ratify
Some young people form organization to make their voice heard. Generation Ratify aims to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and promote equality, specifically gender equality.
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