Now that the election is over I think it is important to address that politics isn’t an event that only happens every two years during an election. Many teens are good about being involved during the election season only to go back to not caring after it is over. I want to encourage everyone to still be involved and interested. There are so many ways to stay involved and updated on current events besides the basics of watching the news or reading books on it. Here are some easy ways that are super fun!
Download political news apps
A super easy way to get quick information on current events is to download a political news app. I myself love the New York Times app. I keep my notifications on and will get alerts on current events from all over the world. If a story shows up on a notification that sounds interesting I will read the full article. It also is a super great place to go digging around on for great articles.
Do political quizzes
I have an obsession with doing political quizzes and have taken many in the past year. You can do ones on current events or even ones like personality quizzes to develop your opinion and see if you are more left leaning (Liberal/Democratic) of right leaning (Conservative/Republican). Simply google political quizzes.
Talk to your parents
Have a conversation about what issues are important to them and see how you might differ. I myself have similar opinions to my parents but love it when they differ. It offers me such a great chance to hear the other side and grow. It also lets my parents see how I am becoming my own person with my own ideas.
Get on the political side of social media
Do this one with caution but I would highly recommend following people in politics and people who are active and invloved. It brings you information and lets you stay involved even when just mindlessly scrolling online.
Look up your local representatives
Google your local representatives, go on their website, look at their social media and learn about them. This is a great first step for if you ever want to reach out to them.
Learn about your local government
Learn about your local judges and law enforcement systems. Politics is more than just who is President.
Share with friends
Talk with your friends about what you guys think about politics. This does’t need to be a debate about what political party you support, rather an outlet to discuss becoming
involved. If you share the same opinion great, but if you don’t listen and try to grow with each other.
Find a politician you can look up to
This can be anyone from anywhere, but find someone who is involved in politics who you can look up to!
Sign petitions or start ones
Find petitions to sign for issues you are passionate about. This is a great way to have your voice heard and create change! If you want to start one then do your research and start collection signatures! I’ve done this before for an issue in school and it was such a great experience.
Identify political issues you are passionate about
Read articles about things you are interested in and develop a passion for certain political issues. You can always reach out to me if you have an issue you would like me to address!
Those are only just a few, there are so many ways to get involved. I would really recommend that you watch the news for even just a few minutes each day, but I understand that sometime it might go in one ear and out the other. Give these ideas a shot and if you have any ideas you would like to share don't hesitate to reach out!