Every day, as kids log into Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. They’re surrounded by friends and family posting about their fun weekends, amazing families, cute pets, and how the government has harmed the American people once again. Making us all think, why? We are only high school students who couldn’t even vote, but as I walked around with the protesters at Taylorsville high school, I learned why.
Recently I.C.E has been deployed more and more into our communities. It has led to uproar in so many people’s lives, sparking the flame of freedom and liberty in everyone. Teachers, Librarians, Nurses, Doctors, and even the youth of today
“I just think it’s important to use your voice, especially because others can’t,” said senior Tommy Bright (fake name). This is just one statement from all of the students who walked out of school on February 6th
But why does this happen, these young souls can’t even vote? And yet they’re just as ready for reform as all the adults. And honestly, the answer is simple, the day and age we live in makes sure everyone knows. The rise of social media has also brought the eyes of the people to new heights.
Ayden Murphy, a junior here at Taylorsville high says the reason he’s made the choice to be informed is because of “ the evil and the hatred towards everyone.”
Again, showing it’s just the fact of knowledge of what’s going on around you is all you need to care about change.
And that led me to wonder how this changed anything. Are there any side effects to being exposed to politics at a young age? And the Institute for Youth in Policy discovered this: “allowing future voters to pre-register increases both registration and turnout by 2.1 percentage points,” written by Jenna Rowen Delson.
So it did change something. 2.1 percent may seem small, but in a presidential election, 2 percent can be the winning margin. This shows that youth deserve to be heard. When given the chance, they bring positive contributions to these conversations and issues
Something to also think about is how these kids affect the people around them. “Well, I like to educate people about it like a lot of my friends, ” said junior Ayden Murphy. Not only are these kids trying to better themselves, but also the others around them. Again showing how ready they are for reform to happen.
NAACP reports, “Studies show that young people who participate in their local communities are more likely to become active voters,” written by Czaria Cole Valentine. So even if youth weren’t included in major politics, being involved in community politics is still beneficial to youth.
Overall, students and youth have shown that they can not only care but also contribute so much to our democracy and country as a whole. Sometimes being the most active people in our communities.
