Seniors at Carrillo feel unprepared to vote in the 2024 election: here’s why

Student is pre-registering to vote in the 2024 Election (Natalia Woods, A&E Editor, The Puma Prensa)

Written by: Natalia Woods , A&E Editor, and Maya Ferrari, Opinion Editor

Out of the nearly 60 Maria Carrillo High School seniors asked if they are ready to vote in the upcoming election, a mere 23 responded yes. That’s less than 40% of students polled. Overwhelmingly, the consensus was that students feel that they lack the right information to confidently cast a vote. So why exactly are we so unprepared for voting?

When asked where they get their political information and news, almost every student unready to vote said they obtain news from social media sources like Instagram, TikTok, and X. An anonymous student shared that everything they learned about the 2024 Presidential Debate was from a 60 second video on TikTok, saying that it “provided a good summary of something [they] didn’t care enough to watch.” There are many explanations for why Carrillo seniors are using places like TikTok or Instagram for news; it’s easy to digest, accessible, and more appealing to younger audiences. Senior Erin Kelleher gave an explanation as to why we are so susceptible to learning news, factual or not, on social media, saying that “the problem is, even if you aren’t actively seeking information out, it will come to you through social media.” Kelleher adds that “If people aren’t politically aware, they see things online, don’t fact check, and come up with political opinions based on those.” 

But seniors at Carrillo aren’t the only people who prioritize social media as a way to learn information about politics and upcoming elections. According to the Pew Research Center, almost half of Americans use social media to get their news. And while social media has made accessing information much easier, it also gives way to the imminent spread of misinformation across America. Researchers at MIT have found that fake news can spread up to 10 times faster than real news on social media. This false information can confuse and mislead people when forming beliefs. MCHS Senior Phoebe Shalev explains how difficult it is to make a solid opinion about something because of the uncertainty of its credibility. Shalev shared a time when she saw a video about an important politician saying something about their policies, only to find out later that the video was taken out of context and wasn’t true. “At times, it’s almost impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not,” said Shalev. “It’s scary to think I almost made an opinion about something that was basically fake.” This lack of credibility can be attributed to something called “soundbite journalism.” This is when people see only a few seconds of something, like a speech, and things can get completely taken out of context. Video creators can also stitch two clips together to essentially make someone say something they didn’t say. These are all examples of a phenomenon known as clickbait, which captures large audiences but often has untrue claims.

Teenagers today face a wave of new information everyday from people, the news, and especially from social media. Although in theory, social media seems like a great platform to spread political knowledge, the misinformation on these social media apps can lead to voters holding ideas and biases based on false information, which can greatly harm our elections and society in general. Realistically, we cannot do anything to stop the spread of misinformation; however, we can control its effects on us as citizens.

Trevor Brady, an AP Government teacher and a political science major, believes that students need to maintain a “healthy skepticism” when absorbing any political information. This means that with any information you see or hear about, it is important to research multiple sources and angles on the piece to gather a sort of consensus between the different sources. Although we may not notice it, we all gravitate towards information that confirms our previous beliefs. It is important to be aware of our personal biases and to be open to new ideas and changing opinions. Brady advises students to try to get information from more “scholarly sources”, highlighting CNN, AP News, and the Press Democrat. Using a wide range of sources can help you be aware of and potentially get away from certain biases. Although we as students are so young, we are “more willing to push back with our own opinions” regarding politics, Brady explains, rather than conforming to the ideas of our peers like many adults do. Because of this, all students should be educated well on political topics so that they can make their opinion based on true facts and events. “The reality is, we all usually have more in common than differences,” Brady explains. 

“Don’t buy into the cynicism of politics, continue to participate, and motivate others.”