According to the survey “What college-aged students know and don’t know about the world.” given to 1,200 students by the Council on Foreign Relations, only 55% of the 75 question survey was answered correctly. While there is evidently a large gap between the informed and the uninformed it does not mean that college aged students students don’t care. However, it may be proof of a significant obstruction between young adults and informational media.
Why does this matter?
It’s an election year, and whether you like it or not, there will be an entirely new body and mind in the white house. A new face of representation. Find out where you stand on issues; this will help you choose who you want your next leader to be.This is the time to step out of your shell, and form a point of view.
In the age of Twitter, it’s incredibly easy to become desensitized by the amount of information given to us simply by scrolling down our feed. Yet, as young adults, it is our social responsibility to get the facts, and stay informed. Here are a few quick and easy steps to becoming (or staying) enlightened:
1. Don’t believe everything you read, hear, or watch on T.V. This has been said time and time again, but is crucial to know due to the amount of false information given on social media, (and other news) platforms. Check the facts, especially if it directly relates to you, or sounds a bit fishy. This is particularly important during an election year, as the media fights to stay relevant and push stories to catch your attention. Find a few reliable sources and read what they all have to say about a particular subject. The details that stay the same throughout all three are more likely the ubiased facts.
2. Start communicating. Your parents are no longer your primary source of data, so start gathering your own. It’s a hard day when you start questioning the values you were brought up with, but it is also time to start thinking about the different practices represented around you. New ideas are exciting, and a college campus is one of the most diverse communities to begin your exploration, so get discussing!
3. figure out a way to get more involved. I know you’ve heard this a million and one times since stepping foot on campus. But this about more than joining the film club, (though film clubs are pretty awesome) it’s about finding a way to express new initiatives to help change the world around you.
Let us all take the initiative of being smart, savvy, *informed* adults, and get our voices heard!