Many policies discussed in the presidential debates could influence the future lives of America’s youth. However, these are the only American citizens who cannot vote and, therefore, don’t have a direct say in the election.
Students are required to learn about the government and systems of American democracy, but sometimes, this is only at the surface level. We learn about the different branches of government and their functions, why they are important to our society. Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t always get the most accurate or unbiased information about our country’s politics in school. It isn’t because schools want us to think one way or another. It’s just that this leads to many children, especially on the younger side, learning or hearing about politics from their family members or friends.
Once students begin high school, there is a little more room for discussions about current politics and candidates. This means that we also have more opportunities to learn about the policies and possible new laws being promoted by each candidate.
A recent article by the New York Times, “Why Teen Voices Matter in the 2024 Election,” explained how “elections have consequences,” even for young people who are not able vote yet. Some of the specific issues that young people zeroed in on this current election were Harris’s protections of women’s rights and some of Trump’s efforts regarding tax policies.
Many students at Montclair High School seem to be well-versed and ready to talk about the 2024 election. While they can’t vote yet, they still have an array of thoughts to share about each candidate, as well as the future of the country. Out of all of the students I spoke to, they all had the same general thought: “If I could vote I would …”T his may seem like a basic thought, or a very obvious answer, but the truth is, that isn’t always the case.
According to the Pew Research Center, only about 66% of the population who are eligible to vote actually voted in the 2020 election. However, a study from Tufts University that same year found that people from the ages of 18 to 29 had voted at higher rates than there had been in almost 30 years. This showed a certain eagerness and enthusiasm from younger voters to make a difference.
As high schoolers, most of us are starting to think about college, whether that’s doing clubs to add to your resume, or even just a guidance counselor telling you about credits and community service hours. Obviously, the American education system is crucial to the government, not only because it teaches us about our country, but it also prepares us to lead or take on roles in the country. Therefore, it is one of the major topics that has been discussed during the Harris-Trump debates.
“It is important for individuals my age to be educated on the candidates of this election,” says Annabelle Gillot, a Montclair sophomore; as well as acknowledging, “it is our future that this election will affect the most.” This perfectly explains why we as high schoolers in America should pay close attention to the 2024 election.
Student-debt is a major issue in the country, due to its prevention of many people getting a higher education. It is also one of the things being heavily debated during the 2024 election. Since high school students will soon be in college, these policies will directly affect us,and could be detrimental depending on each individual’s financial situation.
“Harris’s stance on student loan-debt is important,” ninth-grader Natalie Chu said. “Especially because many people don’t have access to higher education or college simply because of their financial situation. Many people are burdened with student debt for decades after college. Even if they are in a steady financial situation, it takes a very long time for a lot of people to pay off their debts. Even disregarding student debt issues, this current election is way more important to America’s youth than a lot of people realize. “Young people are the future of the US,” which is often disregarded during political discussions, Chu said.
“It is important because we are all American citizens,” Ange Hoge, a ninth-grader at MHS, said.
While we don’t have as much of a say in our country, it doesn’t mean we don’t have a voice, Hoge said. As American citizens, we all have the right to free speech, to express our opinions; regardless of age. It is still important for us as America’s youth to know about the current election, in order to create our own thoughts, ideas, or opinions, separate from what we might be taught by family or friends, she added.
Even though we are not adults yet, we should still create the opportunity to have our own ideas about our country and the way it is run. This is often undermined by what we might hear from our parents or the people around us, because it is what we are used to.
People, specifically a lot of adults, forget that we are the future of this country, and without the right education and support, we won’t be able to help America in later years.
