The Millennial Take on Politics

There used to be a time when I wasn’t as politically informed as I am now. My brother was the one in my family who was always up to date with current political matters since he began high school. When we would sit down for family dinner, my parents would look to him for an engaging conversation about politics. My sister and I on the other hands would just sit there filling our mouths with the loaves of bread my mom would have out. Even at that age, I felt a sense of disconnect from my family when it came to thought provoking conversation. I felt helpless and even a bit immature for my lack of involvement at the dinner table.

Fast forward to today, I’m about to be a senior in college and I’ve focused more of my social media life around politics. I follow political journalists on Twitter as well as the House of Representatives. I’ve also made it a habit of checking CNN from when I wake up in the morning to the moment I’m about to fall asleep. It has arguably become a responsibility as a citizen to be up to date with what has been happening in the country, and I am not alone when it comes to this. Time magazine reported that Americans check their phones 8 billion times a day. When I asked my friends and coworkers what their involvement in politics was, I received roughly the same routine from them. But is what’s happening to modern politics okay?

While being politically motivated to seek information on the world around me, I’ve also experienced a sense of guilt. Just a few nights ago, I was reading about the escalating tensions that are taking place at the border of Mexico and the U.S. The reports of immigrants being harshly mistreated, as they simply try to find a new life. Journalists are posting pictures of children being separated from their parents and being sent to an isolated prison camp while their parents are in custody awaiting trial. Some writers refer what is happening to the internment camps that were put in place during the second World War. I shake my head in disbelief as I read the horror that’s happening and think how could this kind of wrongdoing happen in this day and age? But instead of taking any action, I just close the tabs on my phone and go onto some other news or put my phone away completely. And I know I’m not alone.

This isn’t to say that the advancement of digital technology has been polluting our involvement in politics. In fact, it can bring civil discussion on conversation boards on the internet and can even create a community. But being current on today’s affairs may not be enough for the political climate that we are in. Many of us don’t call our representative, tweet our thoughts and feelings on the matter, or bring it up to friends. It just sits with us until a new event in the world catches our attention and we focus our “efforts” on that one. While our attention may be on another development, the situation at the border will still resume. Immigrant children will still be imprisoned and separated from their parents and families will still be wondering if they’ll have a chance at a new life.