The College Students’ Midterm Elections Recovery

Reported By: Benny Schorie

Illustrated By: Sydney Simmons

Election season is intense. Constant campaign ads and road signs bombard everyone’s life with politics and make it easy to want to tune out. The current political climate’s polarization makes it all the worse. Now that midterm elections have passed, many are ready for a well-needed break. But how do you take time off while maintaining political responsibility?

Political responsibility means understanding your personal obligation to participate in democratic processes. Not every person living in America can vote; this can be because of their immigration status, criminal record, age, or physical and mental ability to vote. However, political responsibility goes beyond voting; it requires political engagement as well. This includes knowing what is on the U.S. Supreme Court docket, what bills are being developed and voted on in Congress, what social movements are resonating with people, and what foreign affairs are dominating the news cycle.

We live in a unique historical moment, and living in it means we have the power to define it. Most Americans hold a great privilege in their ability to vote and have unlimited access to information, and what we do with this privilege matters. Politics are overwhelming, dramatic, and divisive, but not caring about them is also a great privilege. Most people have to care about politics because their lives, families, and livelihoods are on the line. Staying informed is a great starting point to use your privilege for good.

Great ways to stay informed include following news outlets on Instagram, joining news email lists, and listening to current event podcasts. A perk of these methods is their selective nature; they focus on publishing the most relevant information for the vast majority of their audience. A downside of this selective process is the cherry-picking of stories–when someone else is in control of what you see, it can lead to misinformation and the predominance of one perspective over all others. 

To prevent this political tunnel vision, pay attention to international media like the BBC or Al-Jazeera. This will give you a broad range of perspectives that take into account the interests of people across the globe. 

Another helpful tool is the AllSides Media Bias Chart. If you’ve never heard of it, the Media Bias Chart creates a comprehensive view of U.S. political media content and categorizes major news outlets based on their political biases. Understanding the limitations of the media you consume is an important step towards political responsibility.

Of course, this is a massive undertaking, especially for young college students who are still determining their personal politics. Staying up-to-date on current events and government affairs is also exhausting, and burnout is a common result. Part of political responsibility includes knowing when to take breaks and being accountable to them. This looks different for everyone, but good techniques can be temporarily deleting social media, setting time limits for certain apps on your phone, and/or replacing your news time with a different activity.

This year’s midterm elections proved to everyone the extent of damage (or repair) politics does. It also showed this generation’s potential, and the effects we will have on the future. Seize your power and be responsible with it.