We are officially one week away from the start of the 2016 elections.
This is one of the most important elections our generation will witness, and it is absolutely vital we participate.
As millennials we’re the butt of every joke.
We can’t catch a break from older generations. They complain about our laziness, entitlements, vanity and our attachment to technology.
But the joke’s on them.
People seem to forget our age group alone could easily determine not only this year’s election, but the future of everyone currently alive in the United States. The voting power of the millennial generation cannot be overstated.
There are more than 80 million of us, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. We outnumber the infamous Baby Boomers.
If every one of us voted, there would be no contest on who determined the election.
Although there is power in numbers, this power is multiplied when you consider most American millennials have access to the entire world in the palm of their hands.
Our generation was raised on the Internet and we’re able to use it with such expertise that we can find the answer to any question possible in a matter of seconds.
Not only can we find information on the Internet, but we can connect with others like us, whether it’s across the street or on the other side of the world.
Social media, while oftentimes superficial, comes in handy when getting news, spreading information and having discussions on various issues.
There is no better generation to make huge decisions like the 2016 election than millennials. The question is whether or not we’ll show up to vote.
Only 45 percent of 18-29 year-olds showed up to vote in 2012.
Voter turnouts are low among every age group, but it astounds me how so few people my age truly care enough to vote.
It’s our future that past generations are trying to decide.
These are the same people that left us with a polluted Earth, a crippling national debt to add on top of the debt we’ll create ourselves, no jobs, no healthcare and no assistance.
They’re the people who talk down to us, or even blame us, while refusing to realize the circumstances they have left our country in.
Meanwhile we can register to vote on our phones, look up every piece of information on every candidate with a simple Google search and hear the perspectives of our peers by just logging on to Twitter or Facebook.
The world is literally at our fingertips. Shouldn’t we make the right decisions for our future? It’s my hope that this year, millennials will make the right decision.
For those who think their vote won’t make a difference, I hope you realize that 80 million other millennials think the same thing.
Vote.
For those who think it will take too long to register, or get an absentee ballot, or even show up to the polls, remember you are determining your future and not just filling out a form.
Vote.
Our votes as the younger generation do matter as long as we come together to cast them.
Let’s do just that in 2016.
elyjohns@indiana.edu
@ElyseJWrites
