In the world we live in today, where access to news and information rest in the palms of our hands, and communication is only as far away as the end of our fingertips, one would imagine that teenagers are more aware of political happenings and news events.

However in my generation, there is an overwhelming amount of students who haven’t taken advantage of the increasingly easy access to information they should know.

Rather, teens  find it more “fun” to not be informed on what’s happening across the nation, let alone what’s going on in their own community. Politics is a boring and often irritating subject matter that is only discussed by nerds or debaters.

This attitude is seen in some students at Southwest. According to junior Abby Wiedner, “I would rather just have fun and not know or worry about what I can’t change.”

Unfortunately the comfort some find within the saying, “ignorance is bliss,” is detrimental to society as a whole. It becomes very difficult for a public to grow, thrive and prosper, without knowing what is happening and has happened to guide decisions.
Although not everyone is informed on breaking issues or events, those who aren’t admit the faults in their reasoning.

“I mean, we should probably know a little bit about what is going on in the political world, but we shouldn’t worry about it,” junior Taylor Baum says.

For sophomore Jack Ayres, he finds it so important to be informed, that he checks the news at least once a day.
“I want to know what’s going on in the world, and want to have a well-informed opinion.”

Having informed opinions creates logical arguments and discussions that can lead to positive changes within society. However opinions can only truly be formed on a foundation of basic knowledge.

In a self-conducted study, I asked seven of my friends (from sophomores in high school to sophomores in college) three general questions about the current government.
Who is the Vice President?
Who is the Speaker of the House?
Who is the Senate Majority Leader?
Only two of the seven friends could answer each simple question correctly. As for the other five, blank stares were given as responses. Although those questions only represent a small handful of a much larger body of teenagers, the attitudes and answers are harmonious.

As a new generation is arising and become eligible to vote, it is not only frightening, but truly shocking that a large majority of teens simply do not care to know very basic information such as important and powerful leaders in office.
Simple knowledge is a powerful tool. While teens shouldn’t be expected to know the names of every single person in governmental power, the big titles should at least be recognizable.

Additionally, students should not excessively worry or fret about political happenings, national or local events, or even societal issues. But they should at least be informed on what is going on.

Junior Christina Granzow said a balance of living a fun teenager life while being informed is possible.
“I think there is a balance. Teens shouldn’t worry all the time about what is out of their control, but at the same time, they should know what is going on in the world for themselves. Politics totally matter because what is being passed into law or being debated in Congress will impact our lives as adults. They are very important to everyone’s future and freedom.”

Finding the balance does require some action. Action though is simple especially with the ease of the Internet, and the innovation of Google News. These technological advances only make Thomas Jefferson written words to Colonel Charles Yancey ring true today.
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be…Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.”

We can read. And thanks to our U.S. Constitution, there is freedom of the press. So let’s take advantage of that freedom. Read and learn what issues Americans are facing.
In doing so, the idea of politics can shift from an annoying or boring subject, to an idea of philosophical brilliance.