“Politics is boring” and “I’m not really into politics” are lame excuses that may have worked before but will not work now.
Refraining from participating in conversations revolving around politics while you were in middle school was normal, expected even; the people who did just wanted to go against the grain.
When you reach the age of 18 though — the age at which your voice can not only be heard, but seen and put in action on a ballot — not actively participating is unacceptable.
Even if the subject does not particularly tickle your fancy, you need to get involved.
Politics influences nearly every aspect of our lives. It was the forum on which deciding whether enslaved Black Americans would go free or stay in chains was made.
It influences how much you make, how much a loaf of bread costs and how much money your grandparent on disability receives every month.
If you were not interested in politics, then now is the perfect time to start — an election year. Voter turnout rates among the younger population, ages 18-24, are significantly lower than those of older demographics.
According to KFF, the number of registered voters in Arkansas as of Nov. 2022 is 57,000. The number appears to be quite impressive until compared to that of older populations.
About 100,000 of adults ages 24-34 voted, while 144,000 between age 35-44 and 660,000 ages 45-65 and older did. As a country, the same narrative is told, with a staggering 6% of Americans ages 18-24 voted in the last presidential election, leaving the older populations to make up 94% of Americans who voted.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to spend all of your day to be an active participant in politics, especially if discussing it at length is not your style.
Social media has made it easier than ever to be an active participant in politics, so start there.
You can get a glimpse of what is happening in the world around you by taking a look at your social media feed, or just clicking on your friend’s latest story. You can even share news with the click of a button —repost. You can quite literally knock three birds out with one stone, all while scrolling through your phone. It does not get any easier than that.
The important thing to remember when getting your updates from social media is to verify the information you find and read; it takes just a few seconds. Be sure to take a look at a few artices from credible sources, so put Wikipedia away for this. The best part? You can do that on your phone, too.
As an anti-politics junkie, you can also participate by joining and initiating protests. Find the thing that tickles your feathers and talk about it. Being the initiator of a movement or protest is not mandatory, so if you would rather just join a cause, then do that. The best place to do that is here, on a college campus — everyone has an opinion and many want theirs to be heard.
As young voters, it is also imperative that we keep ourselves informed, especially on candidates. With one Google search, you can find what national and local candidates stand for.
Most importantly, vote. I promise that someone or something you care about will be woven within it.
Election Day is Nov. 5, with early voting beginning Oct. 21. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7.
There is also an opportunity to get involved this week on campus.
This Thursday, September 26 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in student center room 214, Dr. Stacey McCullough of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service will share information about the extension service’s nonpartisan ballot issue guide published every election season, and help students better understand the history and context of direct democracy in our state.