One of the most impactful and talked about presidential elections occurred only a few months ago in November, raising countless different opinions and feelings among United States citizens. After the results of this election, there has been a noticeable pattern among active participants.
Recent studies show that Gen Z has had a low voter turnout and overall political participation compared to older generations. They simply don’t care about how voting for the wrong candidate can negatively affect them.
The people who understand the needs of this generation at this time do not want to give their thoughts or even try to make a change. Gen Z is living through these social issues that are trying to be fixed and they see firsthand what changes must be made to build a better community. Yet, only a small handful of individuals are making efforts to see that change.
Students at Thousand Oaks High School are no exception to this political apathy. Even if eligible to vote soon; many feel that they either do not have a voice that matters or that their voices do not want to be heard.
Sophomore Trs’Ta Mitchell has her thoughts about not involving herself in the world of politics and the government’s reaction to the public’s opinion.
“[The government] is going to do what they want anyway, they don’t care, why should I?,” Mitchell said.
From her perspective, it seems that even if you cast a vote or show any concern for the outcome of an election, the United States government will still end up doing what it sees fit.
This distrust in our democracy is causing future voters similar to Mitchell, to turn away from the whole process, which they believe does more harm than good.
As for students who are currently closer to the voting age, they share the same apathy towards politics and all the chaos within.
“[Politics] has been stressing me out, so I haven’t been looking as much,” senior Sierra Updegraff said. “What’s looking at it going to do? I can’t vote yet.”
Uncertainty on the change they can make seems to be a common theme among teenagers. They do not feel even a little qualified to say they know what to do in an election or make their political decisions.
So much can change in politics and before they know it their lives could be changed drastically. The stigma in our society teaches teenagers that since they cannot yet vote, they should not involve themselves in anything political, even if it directly impacts them.
The amount of apathy from these teenagers is frankly disappointing. We may still be in high school, but familiarizing ourselves with the hectic world of politics can help prepare us for when the time comes for us to vote. The ignorance that is spreading across our generation towards politics is doing much more harm than we think.
