I believe very strongly in voting. American citizens have the right to vote but I think it’s more of a responsibility that we have, especially when other countries don't give their citizens that right. I’m of the opinion that, regardless of your opinion on any of the candidates, if you don’t vote you can’t complain.
The 2016 presidential election is the first election that I’ll be able to vote in and I’m not even registered.
Don’t get me wrong — I want to vote, I believe I the responsibility to vote, and I’m going to vote. Still, as of right now, I barely even know what’s going on. Every time I scroll through the front page of the "Odyssey," there’s at least one article about the election. The election is all over the news. It’s on the front page of the magazines at the grocery store. My Facebook feed is filled with other people my age who are outspoken and firm in their opinions.
Here’s the thing: I just can’t find it in myself to care. This time last year, I knew two things: I had never realized how flamingly racist and sexist Donald Trump is, and the presidency is not a dynasty so I did not want another Clinton anywhere near it. Everything I had heard about Bernie Sanders pointed to him never being able to get this far into the election and as far as I knew at the time, Ted Cruz was the most likely Republican nominee. Today, I probably can’t say I know much more. As people have dropped out of the race, I’ve mostly heard about it through Facebook and my response is usually “oh they were running?”
Laziness is dangerous but this isn’t laziness. This is apathy. As much as I don’t want another Clinton in the White House, I don’t care enough to pay attention. As much as I abhor Donald Trump for everything that he is, I’m not concerned enough to watch as he cinches the Republican nomination. As much as I think I’d agree with a lot of Bernie Sanders’ platform, I’m not excited enough to go out and support him.
For me, this election is nothing more than a social media event. I’ve got Facebook friends going on about their favorite (and most hated) candidates. My twitter feed is filled with Trump memes. Tumblr is ablaze with posts on the election. This election is so ridiculous that it’s become like any other media spectacle for me: Beyonce’s release of Lemonade, the Deadpool marketing scheme, anything to do with Kylie Jenner. They’re media stunts that are funny or sensational or entertaining but have no effect on my life and I just don’t care enough to pay attention for a sustained amount of time.
That’s a problem. For every Facebook millennial who’s “Feeling the Bern” or looking to “Make America Great Again,” there’s one like me who just doesn’t care. And that’s the most dangerous thing about the 2016 Election. It’s a social media event that a lot of people don’t see the need to pay attention to. This election is going to change the course of history and there are people who just don’t care.
