Throughout my life, I’ve never been particularly interested in politics. Listening to middle-aged men and women argue on the TV and radio about money, regulations and who-knows-what-else wasn’t the most appealing way to spend my time. When I was younger, I didn’t feel guilty about being careless, because I had no say in the workings of the political machine. Now that I’ve had the ability to vote in several elections with different levels of importance, I really wish I had a better sense of my political values.

It’s kind of overwhelming to even just think about the different factors that go into the upcoming election, let alone research and really delve deep into the topics that matter. With so many different opinions and biases, where do you even begin researching? How do you know what you’re reading is plain fact and not a guided opinion? It’s so much easier to just go along with your parents’ opinions, considering they’ve taught you right and wrong all of your life. For me, watching a debate is as riveting as reading a textbook. The most exposure I’ve gotten to political news has been through Jimmy Fallon’s intro skit to “The Tonight Show.” It’s a little frightening to think I might absentmindedly vote for a candidate whose views I don’t actually agree with, just because I was too careless to pay attention to the points each candidate has to make.

Considering the political ads have already started and the primaries are just around the corner, I definitely have some research to do. While I’m not one to debate or delve deeply into political opinions, it is my goal to become knowledgeable about the potential changes in the future that will directly impact me as a millennial trying to figure out how to become a functional adult. For all the other politically clueless individuals out there, I hope you join me in this endeavor and wish you the best of luck in figuring out what matters most to you.