Why It Does Not Matter To Me
Adriana Chakarova | Nov. 5, 2024 | Opinions
Despite the buzz of the 2024 election frequently dominating media focus, I personally find the event to be far from significant. As a hard-working high school student, my focus is on my main priorities and the events going on in my life right now. I often feel largely separated from the political process and its topics due to my age. The common misinformation spread in the presidential political debates also furthers my overall apathy towards the election.
Ultimately, given this disconnect, it is no surprise some feel indifferent about the election. Like me, most high schoolers fall under the voting age limit. This means we have no influence over which presidential candidate is elected, and subsequently little control over the future of America. Moreover, many policies fought over in the election are not directly impactful to those under the voting age. As a teenager, a great number of the main policies of the election do not directly impact me; for example, I do not own a home, deal with taxes, focus on retirement issues, or share many of the concerns adults would have, which are prime focuses of the electoral debate. Therefore, it is not particularly relevant that Vice President Kamala Harris wants to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy, according to Council Foreign Relations. Nor is it very relevant that former President Donald Trump advocates for tariffs, tax and government budget cuts. The truth is these main election issues just do not yet have much meaning for me and the general teenage population.
Not to mention, there is a growing sense of distrust in politician promises leading many people of all ages toward political apathy. If the candidates are able to spread misinformation and make false claims, how are we supposed to dedicate our full care and attention towards them and the election? “They’re eating the dogs —the people that came in. They’re eating the cats,” is a popular claim made by Trump regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, that was quickly debunked by local officials. This misinformation likely stemmed from right-wing social media, according to Quaker Campus. Similarly, Harris recently faced some scrutiny for claiming there are no active United States duty troops in any combat zones. However, while it is true they are not currently fighting, there are indeed still U.S. troops in federally designated combat zones. Take for example the 2,500 troops currently stationed in Iraq according to the U.S Department of Defense. These common inaccurate claims made in politics make me and others weary about fully trusting the election process. This common prevalence of misinformation drives me to largely disengage from the election process.
Despite my disconnect, it is still important to be prepared for the future, and to know elections have a significant impact on society. The ideas and policies debated now might not affect me at the present moment, but they likely will someday. However, the current focus of my life is in the now rather than in the later. Like many, I choose to focus on what I am doing presently, so that I can strive to put my all in everything, without getting distracted by distant concerns. While the election is important to many, and they have the right to think so, as of now I am largely disinterested in the whole process. I instead have a greater focus on what is right in front of me, which does not include the election.