This summer, I went to New York for a journalism camp during the week of primary elections. I was surrounded by “I Voted!” stickers and campaign ad-covered billboards, random New Yorkers espousing political rhetoric and conspiracy theories—as well as over a hundred student journalists discussing the presidential debate. Yes, it was that disastrous debate between President Biden and Mr. Trump.
It was overwhelming, to say the least. It wasn’t just hectic; I also lacked recent context for the breaking political news. Though I have always liked to think of myself as someone who keeps up with the news, I had been subconsciously ignoring election coverage. I had scrolled past the Biden fundraising ads and news of Trump’s convictions. I had disregarded all polls.
I had mistakenly thought that turning a blind eye towards the news would preserve whatever semblance of hope I had left.
But, surrounded by peers engaged in political discussion, I quickly realized that the news I’d been ignoring held a significance that far outweighed my moment of oblivion. This year, there seems to be a new disaster everyday. The election is in dead heat. Gun violence shows no sign of stopping. Women’s rights are being stripped away, while the broader systems of support for mental health are failing. Oh, and the government is constantly on the verge of a shutdown.
Hearing about this news is depressing. The sheer scale bewilders me. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important, or that it can be ignored. It is because of the bad news, in fact, that I believe news is so valuable.
We, the youth, need to know about corruption in our city council, the misogynistic language politicians use, and the missile strikes in the Middle East—if only so we can stay up to date and take some form of informed action.
Political news holds a special significance in the media. It transcends headlines, because politics have a real impact on how we live, often in subtle ways we don’t even notice. For instance, ballot propositions, a staple of California political culture, can sneak past even when they address housing laws or ban same-sex marriage.
Staying uninformed about these measures won’t stop them from changing our lives irreparably. But in keeping up with the news and gaining knowledge about the actual details of major political events, there is the opportunity for us to take some kind of stand.
Let’s discuss the elephant in the room: Yes, most high schoolers can’t cast a vote. Instead, supporting a senatorial candidate might simply look like a conversation with a parent, or friend. Preventing an oppressive bill might look like volunteering to go door-to-door or writing opinions online.
No matter what, the news provides the knowledge helpful to knowing which bill to support, or what candidate to disavow. Even as teenagers, our voices, especially as a collective, have power.
After all, opinions are the first step towards action, the first venture outside of political oblivion, and into confronting the real world. As crazy and terrible as it is, we cannot remain oblivious to the horrors of American politics, even if we try. Politics are inevitable. It’s a cliché and tired rhetoric to claim that it’s up to us to change the world—but in a sense, it is true. We are coming of age in an increasingly fractured world, and it is up to our generation to go out there and make change. How can we do that if we don’t know which rights are under attack, or the impact of an assassination attempt upon voter demographics, or the legal implications of yet another, oppressive Supreme Court decision?
I used to feel powerless. But I now know the simple act of reading the news and knowing what is happening in the world can truly empower us, as America edges onto the precipice of disaster.
Of course, I should also note that I am certainly not a political junkie, and most teenagers simply aren’t. Every single article and perspective does not need to be read. The details of a gubernatorial election across the country is not automatically a must-watch.
No one needs to be ultra-educated or super knowledgeable on a topic to have an opinion, but there is no doubt that getting more information and perspective from the news can’t hurt. The more knowledge, the more nuanced an opinion gets.
And in our times, some basic political literacy is necessary. Know the impact of wars in other countries upon our own. Know when politicians are almost assassinated. Watch their promises carefully, and have the background to scrutinize their actions.
The news on American politics will probably be demoralizing. Opinions might fail to sway other people. And the worst of the worst might manifest in multiple possibilities—the draconian Supreme Court could bring our nation’s law backwards again, a diplomatic mission could fall through, and our democracy could shatter to pieces.
But it is still our duty to be watching, and there is always something to gain from that.
