- Cassidy Cockrell
The Media could be Moving Millennials to the Polls
Young people turning out at the voting polls has increased since the 2016 election. According to a Harvard poll, November 6th won’t be any different. The 2018 midterm election is predicted to have a historically high amount of youth voters. Why is this?These last few years haven’t exactly been smooth in politics, and the turmoil in D.C has not gone unnoticed by young people across the country. Young adults are becoming more informed about the importance of voting now than ever, because of social media and other media outlets. It is usually not a good idea to get your news from Facebook (if you do, at least fact check!) but the added pressure from family members, your favorite celebrities and friends to go out and vote could turn out to be a good thing.
Hollywood stars have not been shy about using their platform to urge their fans to go out and vote. Everyone from Kim Kardashian to Justin Timberlake have taken it to their social medias to explain the severity of this election and how important everyone’s vote is. They have also spoken out about the issues that are on the line like LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reform, climate change and educational funding. Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt released a video to advocate Americans to vote by calling this election the most “consequential of our lifetime.” I don’t know about you, but if Leonardo Dicaprio is telling me to vote, I’m there! Millennials live on social media so this is a brilliant way to bring a positive change through Instagram and Twitter.
Since the 2016 election there have been highly publicized movements that have also caught the attention of young people. The March for our lives that urged tighter gun control after several school shootings had extremely high coverage with many celebrities coming out to participate and show their support. As well as the “Me Too” movement where female celebrities came forward about sexual assault that they have experienced, giving other women the confidence to speak out. These movements have had such effect on the entire country the next generation is ready to make a difference.