We live in a society where everything is dictated by social media.
Through this, teens have had a voice in politics like never before. During the past election my Facebook, and Twitter were bombarded with things like “Obama 2012” or “Romney 2012.” Through this, heated debates were started, and there was a passion teachers in school would applaud.
The main question is why did 16-year-olds suddenly become interested in politics? We got interested in politics when our favorite celebrities did.
During election time, Nicki Minaj voiced her political views in a verse of a Lil Wayne song titled “Mercy” (Remix). In this Nicki said, “I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney…” It then went on to suggest that Democrats or the Obama administration were ruining the economy. This caused controversy on popular social media sites from her fans who were sure that she was a Democrat, and even President Obama spoke out on the song.
During election time social media wasn’t just about checking up on your friends, it became filled with knowledge about the world; it was like an online classroom. Sure at some point we have to apply these skills in the real world, but would parents be so eager to turn off the computer knowing that we were having a voice that we’ve never had before?
Usually when I try to bring up politics in my house, I get dismissed as if I have no clue what I’m talking about, because I’m not old enough to vote. However, I’m given the necessary tools to be just as knowledgeable as my parents because that’s just how the Internet works. Everything is easy to find, and easy to pass judgment on.
I think we’re smarter than adults give us credit for, and we always have been, we just needed a reason to be. We needed someone to ignite passion in us for us to care, and we got that. Not from our parents, or the president, or governor.
We got this passion from our favorite celebrities. They have more to say about right from wrong to teenagers than a gray haired man in a suit and tie ever will, and most celebrities have used their voices for good. They took a misunderstood generation and gave it a voice.
Editor’s note: Views expressed in this column are the writer’s and not necessarily those of the Recorder Newspaper.
