As voting season approaches, it is incredibly important to embrace the privilege of educating oneself on what it means to have a voice for the future. Students may believe that they do not have much impact on pivotal events such as voting for the next president. However, being knowledgeable about current events has an important role to play in society.
In a generation saturated by division and rigid ideologies, being open-minded is essential. In an article by an organization called Civil Youth, they claimed that when questioned about information on the U.S. political system, most young people were misinformed on topics such as the federal government and their candidates. It was also found that older adults were misinformed on similar topics. This shows how some Americans are not truly educated about their country, causing them to be misled when it comes to voting.
While some may believe that one must choose a political side, that is not entirely the case. The idea that one must either be liberal or conservative, Republican or Democratic, creates division in communities that are meant to be united. The future seems increasingly divided due to restricted mindsets that cause extreme loyalty to just one political party.
To heal the country from this problem, education on all aspects of each political party is crucial. Understanding the different principles and values that each candidate holds reveals many elements that may not have been considered before.
When confined to a single perspective, people begin to lack the ability to seek out different ideas. Exploring and considering viewpoints outside of one’s own allows understanding of the diverse people and backgrounds that shape the nation.
It is easy to be influenced by misinformation and false narratives presented through the media. To work smarter, it is necessary to push away biased thinking based on others’ words and labels and instead get information through neutral research.
While it may be simple to suggest that people should thoroughly educate themselves, identifying the first steps to achieving this knowledge is essential. Joining clubs and organizations focused on civic engagement and government is a great way to meet individuals with diverse perspectives. Additionally, conducting thorough research on candidates and their campaigns ensures that information comes directly from reliable sources, including real videos of speeches and uncut debates.
What makes a country great is the willingness to be open-minded and explore outside of comfort zones. This is the only way to discover innovative solutions to the issues facing the nation. Therefore, as rising leaders, it is important to introduce new ways of thinking in a world of prejudiced beliefs, because the privilege to be open-minded exists.