In our lives today there is a big misconception of what politics is. Some people choose not to pay attention to politics and what congressmen said or what our Vice President did. Politics isn’t the big headlines, but it is the tiny little things people don’t look for. Those big headlines get people’s attention, but those headlines don’t go below the surface and really explain what happened and why. Due to social media, America’s younger generations are not looking for what is below the surface, we are looking for what is easiest to understand or what is most attractive. For example, students are most likely to be spending their free time doing sports, or playing block blast on their phone rather than reading the Associated Press. So forth I ask, do students believe the headlines?
It has always been natural to assume that politics and government are not conversations for students or teenagers because it is more mature. However, due to those stereotypes students never have the need to look into politics until it’s time for them to vote. These have huge effects on students’ perception about what politics is. At Tuscarora High School, I shared a poll asking students questions about their take on politics, opinions, if it interests them, and what they think about it. *This poll was anonymous and was at the students free will to answer questions or not.*
First, students stated if they paid attention to politics. Majority of students stated that they pay attention to politics to a certain extent. However, reasons for this varied. Some students might not pay attention to politics because they don’t understand it and haven’t developed any beliefs on it yet. Other students stated that they do pay attention to politics because they know its importance and how it will affect them in the future. Furthermore, those students who don’t pay attention to politics said it was because “I don’t feel it affects me personally in any way” or “It doesn’t concern me.” This can demonstrate the unawareness some students may have about politics. The truth of the matter is that politics isn’t brought up in schools so this can lead to uninterest in students because if something isn’t being discussed where they spend most of their time, then they don’t have the attention to look into something and learn more about it. This can contribute to their perspective of politics. Students and their perceptions of it can shape if they believe these headlines or not.
Students described politics as irrelevant, unfair, powerful, and corrupt. All of the descriptions had negative connotations to them, this can add to the fact that students are aware of politics enough to have this description. However, why they describe politics negatively is due to the fact that the media exaggerates it. Those students who paid attention to politics described it as unfair, biased, dramatic, powerful because they have looked into details. Then, the students who didn’t have any interest in politics described it as irrelevant, confusing, and chaotic. Politics might come off as chaotic or unfair, but in reality politics is full of discussions and power to make sure policies are fair for all humans. It depends on how students view politics and perceive it to be; but, if students know something isn’t right they will look into it, find out more information. It is those students who show they care and will not believe those headlines.
In this current moment in history with the transfer of power from President Biden to President Trump, people have many emotions, good or bad about this situation. Some students stated that they are upset with this transfer of power because they wished for Kamala Harris to win the presidential election, meanwhile others stated that they are happy with this decision putting faith into President Trump. On the other hand the rest of the respondents feel concerned no matter who would have won the election because “I feel smarter than the people running this country. I didn’t like either Kamala or Trump.” If students believe that they are smarter than our country’s leaders, then there is a negative image put onto politics. Students are being led to believe that the government doesn’t listen to them; whenever students all across the country speak up about something, they are shut down. With that negative image of politics, they lack motivation to learn more, and this will shape what they believe.
Due to the negative image of politics, and how it can seem “dramatic” will draw students away from learning more about what will impact their future. I urge students to pay attention, don’t believe the headlines until you have digged deeper into the situation, until you understand why it was done to believe headlines. Therefore, to answer the question, it depends on the students perspective to believe or to not believe the headlines. Those students who find it important to know what is going on in politics will pay attention and go beyond the surface to learn this information. Otherwise, students who don’t care and think politics is irrelevant will just glance at those headlines, believing every word they say.
