The Mycenaean

With election season coming up, it is important for students to stay up to date with current political information and be equipped with tools to stay educated and be able to stay active in their communities. 

From freshman looking to become more civically engaged to high-school seniors preparing to vote in their first election, navigating the flood of political information- and avoiding misinformation- can be a significant challenge to students.

Ways to stay informed

From pre-registering to vote to completing community and service projects, there are many ways for youth to stay involved in politics. 

In an election season, gaining an understanding of the different levels of elections. From municipal and statewide elections to the national level, elections can help students have a better understanding of politics and the structure of both federal and state governments. 

“Start with the basics, learn who your local government is and try to find out who’s on the ballot. There are individuals who have been in office before and all of their records are public information in terms of how they voted in the past, what policies they have supported in the past… just doing your research on who is on the ballot from your local elections all the way to your federal elections,” said Ms. Evans, Leesville Road High School American History and Civic Literacy teacher. 

Although many highschool students are not able to vote, elections can impact their lives significantly. “People don’t necessarily think about it but especially at your state and local levels, those are the people making policies that will impact your life from where a stop sign goes to how your neighborhood is zoned… voting will impact every level of your life” said Evans. 

LRHS students who are eligible to vote work hard to be informed for the upcoming election. “My birthday is in October, so I am eligible [to vote]… I try to watch debates and stay updated on social media, and I try to watch unbiased news as well,” said Erica Stevens, senior. 

Social media and misinformation

Social media can be a powerful tool for people, particularly young people, to learn about politics. Today, 74% of Leesville students claim to receive the majority of their election-based information from social media. 

Social media platforms such as instagram, twitter, snapchat, reddit, and more all serve as a fast- paced and convenient source of information for youth and adults alike as it provides easily accessible and digestible content. 

While social media can be a powerful tool in staying informed, social media presents the risk of increased misinformation being spread. From social media platforms prioritizing virality over accuracy to biased news sources swaying public opinion, news from social media is largely unregulated and can be harmful for people who are not able to identify potentially harmful information. 

“Learning how to identify bias is incredibly important and misinformation. Don’t rely on someone telling you that something is the truth. Always look for reputable websites, sources that have been verified, just to ensure that you’re not getting misinformation. Do your own research, that’s ultimately what it boils down to and always use reputable sources, not facebook or instagram or tiktok,” said Evans.

By understanding media bias and researching and evaluating news sources, students can learn about and navigate political spaces responsibly.