Millennials are the digital generation – there”s no doubt about that.
So, it makes sense that Millennials are turning to social media, not just for entertainment, but also for their news, including the latest in American politics.
In a Pew Research Study, “How Millennials” political news habits differ from those of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers,” reported in June, 61 percent of Millennials said they rely on Facebook for news more than any other source. However, Millennials and the two preceding generations all distrust news sources.
Distrust for information found on the internet is a critical part of being an informed citizen. Anyone can contribute anything to the internet, so it”s important to be skeptical.
Although the research shows Millennials are inundated with more information about politics on social media, they say they are less interested than prior generations. Slowly but surely, they are becoming more informed due to the drama of the current presidential race, but that”s mainly because Millennials find it entertaining rather than informative.
What does this mean for college-age students?
This age group is constantly flooded with political commentary, whether it is sought out or not. Friends and loved ones take to the internet to express their political views.
The problem is that politics can be divisive. When someone disagrees with a Facebook friend”s political beliefs, the move to “unfriend” them is not uncommon.
College is a time to absorb and understand varying political beliefs. It”s a time to explore new ideas and listen to fresh perspectives. Many people adopt the political beliefs of their parents, others are susceptible to taking more conservative or liberal political stances based on the environment they”re in.
College is a great opportunity to be open to what all sides are saying and to explore political beliefs on a more personal level rather than relying on others” views.
When students box themselves off from different viewpoints, they stop learning. The other viewpoint has deeply held beliefs, just like your viewpoint. Allowing yourself to have conversations about political beliefs and not allowing it to be contentious is a powerful thing not taken advantage of enough.
Students have the power to express their beliefs and speak their minds. They should listen to other students and acknowledge their points even if they don”t agree with them. We are all human and can work toward bettering the world together.
Millennials have fresh minds with new ideas that can do a lot of good for the world. They just need to stay actively informed with what is going on around them in order to put those ideas to good use.
– KH