American Idol winners typically receive more votes than the President of the United States. Most would agree that students, along with the rest of the nation, hold the enormous responsibility of America’s future, but are they shirking their duties in politics and replacing them with interest in celebrity figures?
“They think it is boring or else they are not involved and don’t have knowledge about the candidates,” said Haley Luker, 22, regarding the reason students are uninterested in politics. “Or it’s possibly because they can’t vote from their couch.”
With the comments made by students, it seems to be a general consensus that although students should be more involved in politics, they care more about reality shows and celebrity news.
“I’m not particularly interested in politics,” said Ashley Woolf. “They make everything so complicated. If they made it so that I could understand what they were talking about, I would be much more interested.”
Woolf finds it hard to get involved, but many students don’t care.
“I do not even care,” said an anonymous student. “I don’t have an opinion about politics and I don’t care to hear anyone else’s. Obama says nothing I can relate to, but Taylor Swift sure does.”
Although knowledge in this day and age is rather easy to obtain, educating oneself on issues does take time and effort. This is time and energy that students do not have, or would rather spend on things that will help them unwind.
Downtime for most students involves some sort of celebrity. Whether it’s fashion, mainstream music or shows, celebrities are everywhere. Government also seems to acknowledge celebrity prominence. Invisible Children, Inc. asked celebrities to back its cause, and Morgan Freeman did a voice-over for the Obama campaign. This would make it seem as though a student can’t even get into politics without the distraction of celebrities.
Students do tend to agree, however, that government should be more of a priority in their lives.
Priscilla Silva, public relations major, said she feels it is an issue of being spoiled. In her opinion, America is used to everything eventually working itself out, and that students would only become involved when something drastic was going to affect them directly.
“There seems to be a disconnect between government and our generation,” Silva said. “I had a friend just tweet that she can’t wait until all she has to worry about is her career.”
Silva went on to explain that with work, school and an attempt at a social life, students allow politics to fall to the wayside. She also said that students who are educated on the importance of being involved in local and national government are more likely to be involved.
It may be easy to note that elections are swiftly approaching, and students aren’t exactly lined up outside the voting booths.
Regarding our generation and the wide kowledge of celebrity news, yet apparent disinterest in legislation, Luker said, “I’m scared senseless.”
