I was watching the Democratic debate on Tuesday night and, to be honest, I had my eyes on Twitter most of the time. As a 19-year-old, I am always curious what my peers have to say about politics because, for most of us, the 2016 election will be the first presidential election we will be allowed to vote in. And what better way to find out than a Millennial's favorite thing — social media.

I was surprisingly disappointed at how many people — on and off Twitter— were completely unaware there was even a debate going on. Way too often I hear people say things like “I just don’t really care about politics” or, even worse, “I have no idea about any political issues.” With so much information available to us within seconds, how anyone could not know what’s going on in the world.

Coming to college, I was expecting a much more politically active student body. We’ve stopped relying on our parents for laundry, rides, and (worst of all) calling the doctor. Let’s stop relying on them to decide the laws and policies for our future.

Sooner than we know, we will be entering the elusive “real world.” The issues being discussed, debated, and passed right now will have a far larger impact on us than on our Gen. X parents.

So why are they voting in larger numbers? A study done by Tufts University found that the biggest reason college students were not voting was because they “didn’t have time.” As a college student, I can say this is, well, bullsh*t. If our parents can work 9 to 5 and still find the time to vote, I think we can make it work.

This idea of “not having enough time” is further enforcing the widespread notion that our generation is lazy, but 26 states (plus D.C.) have online voter registration! We love things that are online! The time it takes to register to vote online is less than two minutes. That’s less time than your favorite Beyonce song.

People, especially college students, most often shy away from any political conversation. They are afraid of sharing their views and perhaps disagreeing with their peers. However, when creating meaningful relationships with people such as friends, boyfriends, and family, it’s important and beneficial to have friendly, but stimulating conversation about our values; not to mention that being aware of the world around us is an extremely redeeming quality.

One of the greatest things about America is that you can have differing views from your peers and still live in harmony. As one of my friends once said, ”Bipartisan friendships are the best kind.” And it’s true. Our openness to and accepting of various ideas is one of the things that makes our generation so outstanding.

If everyone has the idea that their vote doesn’t count, then our generation will have no voice. College students throughout history have been the ones to ignite the spark for change. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s also the truth. We are the future.