OPINION
It’s a common conversation among college students everywhere in recent months.
“Who are you going to vote for?” a student asks. A variety of answers may ensue, none of them particularly specific.
“I’m not voting, it doesn’t change anything.” “I don’t know, anyone but Trump.” “I don’t like politics.”
It has been a growing trend that people between the ages of 18 and 24 are less informed and less enthusiastic to vote when it comes to American politics, according to a recent USA Today article.
Additionally, the article says a lot of the information that they are exposed to comes in the form of tweets, Facebook posts, or humorous memes about the current political candidates. Because of this presentation of the political race, rather than getting real facts about the candidates, many social media users are only seeing what is trending on Twitter as a joke or simply as the popular opinion.
“The biggest reason why college kids are drawn to Bernie Sanders is that they are vastly uninformed and don’t have a basic understanding of economics,” said Ryan Schuring, a junior economics major at North Central College. “They see him trending on social media and follow only the headlines. Without scratching the surface, they are failing to see what he actually stands for.”
Dr. Stephen Caliendo, political science professor at North Central College, also believes social media has a big influence on young voters.
“If a lot of young people are getting a preponderance of their information about politics through social networking, then the types of issues that are presented there will be important to young folks,” Caliendo said. “So it’s possible that social media can help set a political agenda.”
This means that if one candidate is simply more tech savvy or present on social media than another, they are likely to gain young, social media users as voters. If college students are only basing their votes on who is most popular on social media, they may not be necessarily be voting for the most qualified candidate. They may be uninformed on what the candidate actually stands for or have only been exposed to one candidate’s beliefs.
“Now, I’m not saying college kids cannot critically think, but if they are only exposed to one side of the argument they are that much more likely to lean in a particular direction,” Schuring said.
The lack of knowledge on the topic of politics in college students can be attributed to many things. According to an article from USA Today titled “Why college students aren’t voting (and why it matters),” students at Florida Atlantic University were interviewed about whether they would vote in the 2016 election. The majority of students said they were not planning on voting for several reasons: politics don’t apply to college students, they are not interested in politics, or they don’t think their vote matters.
Additionally, many students may be more interested in television shows or music than politics.
“This age range would rather follow pop culture and other things that may not have great bearing on their life,” Schuring said.
One thing that many college students are informed on is anything that Republican candidate Donald Trump has done or said as he has been making headlines since his campaign began. And although some students think he is only running for fame, his entry has changed the political field.
“He has consistently pushed the envelope of what can be said on the campaign trail,” Schuring said. “Oftentimes, politicians are limited in their speech because they worry about political correctness.”
College students are still considered a very influential group of voters and is constantly targeted by candidates. The only difference is that instead of handing out flyers in dorm halls, candidates are starting hashtags.
