As a little kid, I used to love reading. I brought so many books home from the library that my mom used to say "Are you reading those books or inhaling them?" As I grew up, my love for reading didn't diminish, but I found myself with less and less time on my hands to read for fun. That is why I pursued an English Education major so that I could both continue to foster my love for reading as well as spread that love to my future students too.

However, in an era of Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, and other social media platforms, I am finding it increasingly difficult to pull myself away from my phone and read an article about current events. Even though there is a "News" app, I rarely use it, because I am so distracted from other, more attractive media platforms.

This is no coincidence. Social media creators know what our generation is drawn to, and they use those tactics to distract us from the true issues of our nation. There is so much apathy in our generation, and we have to realize that it's not entirely our fault. Instead of blaming millennials and Gen Z kids for being lazy and apathetic, let's look at the root of the problem -- censorship.

The media, as in news channels and social media institutions, has complete power over what they choose to show us. They might choose to show us certain sides of an argument, or certain portrayals of characters, and we do not fully have access to the truth. This is why media literacy is so important. It allows us to become more competent consumers of the information we are presented with.

Furthermore, during this recent election, I found myself faced with a plethora of political ads -- as I'm sure many people were. However, I realized that these ads were targeted at me very keenly. Based on the information I give Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, social media engines are probably able to discern that I fit into the 18-25-year-old college student demographic. Typically, my demographic tends to lean liberally and Democratically, as demonstrated by this year's midterm election voter results.

(Quick side note, I am extremely thrilled at the voter turnout this midterm election!! Young voters especially did a fantastic, record-breaking job at the polls this year and I hope that this proves to the older generation that we do care and that we do matter. I hope this trend continues and we are all able to preserve our right to get our voices heard!!)

Now don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily mind seeing political ads that align with my views. However, when looking at the larger picture of things, if advertisements are targeted and match my pre-existing views, it serves no purpose other than to further polarize me into the extremes. This is no secret to the media, but it is something that not much of the public is aware of. By making this known to our peers, friends, and family, we are becoming more accurate consumers of the media, and we are able to resist censorship and preserve individual thought.

So I urge you to educate yourselves and others around you, and encourage them to really think about the information they are presented, and not just accept things at face value because "it has a lot of likes" or "the author has 'Dr.' in front of his/her name," because when we become compliant, we accept apathy. Through education and critical media literacy, we can change the world.