For many of us, the upcoming presidential election is the first one we have ever been eligible to vote in. This will be the first presidential election where our opinions count and where our voices will be heard. But are our peers even paying attention to the candidates, let alone their views?
As a generation of avid social media users, our political opinions (whether educated or uneducated) are all over the Internet. Tweets and facebook posts are created daily saying ignorant things like, “I will not be voting for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman” or even the opposite of that. If you are not taking the time to thoroughly research the candidates and see if their views and ideals match yours, then don't vote. Yes, that’s right. Don’t. Vote.
The uneducated voter is highly dangerous in elections. If you don’t know what exactly it is you're voting for, then you shouldn't be voting. The importance of this election to our generation should be apparent to us, whoever wins will be our president for the next four years. That leader, who we will elect in 2016, will be our country’s representative after we graduate college and begin to start our careers. As a young adult, you need to research every candidate, even if you don’t think you like them, and figure out which one agrees with your personal values and views on our country.
Although we are almost at adulthood, I have seen many childish posts relating to the presidential race. Donald Trump’s ignorant and nasty comments have been getting a lot of social media attention and even support from my fellow peers. One offensive tweet that you may deem funny does not mean you should vote for someone (especially Donald Trump). Another thing our generation is prone to are bandwagon fans. If you see a lot of tweets with support for one candidate, you might feel obliged to support them as well. This is dangerous, and I am advising you to please stick with your own opinions, no matter what your best friend thinks.
This is our time to shine, and we can turn this election around if we all get ourselves and our peers to vote responsibly and ethically. Research the candidates extensively, watch their debates and even stalk their social media. Learn what you can, so you can decide for yourself who you think will run our country most effiectively. If you find that you do not agree with any of them, don’t vote! I often hear adults saying that they have voted for “the lesser of two evils” in elections. Don’t be that person, and vote for who you want to lead your country for the next four years or don’t vote at all.
