By Michelle Salas Nevarez
Making important choices can give us feelings of unease or uncertainty, even apprehension. That can all come from taking the first step into responsibility and making a choice that will impact your future and the future of the people around you. It can have you questioning everything. Is it the right choice? The wrong choice? How do you know?
As the campaigns have made their ads to promote their candidates and propositions, the media have spread them. This exposure has led to more fake news being pushed and algorithms that provide posts that give people what they want to hear, which can be one-sided and misinforming. For the younger generations, the social media world is a place they know well. In the 21st century, social media has become an important way to communicate with younger generations. Teenagers use these forms of communication to get their news, feel comfortable, talk to other people, create new personalities, play games, be seen around the world, and much more.
I interviewed a first-time voter about how social media impacts their day-to-day life and they said, “social media is stressful because you go to it to unwind and you end up overspending time on it, and then you end up more stressed. Plus, it’s like you’re constantly seeing standards that you’ll never live up to. It’s a cycle. It can be addicting, and it can be gratifying.”
While social media has its benefits and disadvantages, it cannot be the only thing used to get information or news. To ensure that we are informed, it is essential to look at news from an unbiased perspective but also with an eye for the truth.
During the process of interviewing first-time voters in the area on how they feel and what they think about this year’s election, most of them said they feel nervous but excited, and yet also disappointed with the choices for candidates. A first-time college student who would like to remain anonymous said, “I don’t want to vote because I feel like my opinion won’t matter or would not be heard either way.”
This is a feeling mirrored by many young voters. However, first-time voter Kamron Cislo, who is a local fire academy student, says that he is “very grateful, and ready to voice his feelings and opinions and be part of real change in our country.”
I applaud interest in the political systems surrounding the future and use this as a call to action for all the first-time voters in the area. Your voice matters. Do your research on the political parties and propositions on the ballots, register to vote, and cast your vote when the time comes. It is your responsibility to use your voice and your power as citizens and as human beings.
~ Michelle Salas Nevarez is a first generation Mexican-American college student attending Sierra College. Her goal is to become an immigration lawyer and help the people in her community. Michelle graduated from North Tahoe High School, where her history teacher, Mrs. Jamison, taught her to fight for what she believed in.
