APATHY
On the Apathetic issue I think that with every generation that comes along each one is going to get more and more Apathetic. The first article from Derek D. Buck just bashes our generation and from what I see, he calls us a generation with nothing good to offer besides entertainment. I guess he is old because he has no clue what us more catching than what is not catching. From his article every student or almost every student knows nothing and he pretty much makes a joke out of it. Personally I don’t care what he says or thinks of our generation. When you watch politics its not so much the topics there discussing its more about what the democrats are doing wrong and what the republicans are doing wrong. There is not much about what is actually going on its more about competition and who is better. The first article from Jennifer Clark basically put me to sleep so I don’t have much to say about her article. The response was great it kind of mapped out how we think and feel on the apathetic subject. It’s hard to focus on non-entertaining things when you’re tired and beat up for working, school, and life in general. We want to hear and see something that we can relate to and politics isn’t something a 18-24 year old can relate to. We like to listen to why Brittany Spears is crazy and who is getting traded from the Eagles, not Hillary Clinton talking about judicial reforms.
Great analysis Manny, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this in class! I especially liked the part about Dems and Repubs just talking about why the other is wrong and it all being competition – I agree, and sometimes it seems like they care more about winning, than getting stuff done. Maybe the answer then would be to get more young people into politics focusing on getting stuff done… Just a thought. Thanks!
This is a good essay that goes against the author’s thesis and I am glad to see you stuck up for our generation. Like you, I am definitely more interested in entertainment and sports because I think most politicians say what will make them win as opposed to what they actually think is right. Even though I’m not a big political guy I still think it is bad that more of our generation votes for American Idol than for the president of the United States. I strongly feel that more of our generation needs to get out to the polls and voice our support through voting just because voting is one of our most important rights. However, I definitely feel that you made a good point that it’s hard to relate to Hillary Clinton’s BS and other politics at our age when there are other things on TV that better relate to our age group.
I agree with you it really isn’t about what is actually going on its more about who is winning that is all we really here is who is winning and why someone is wrong and how someone else could do something different then when they get the oppertunity to do something very little actually happens good entry
“There is not much about what is actually going on its more about competition and who is better.”
You couldn’t have said it better. I watch CNN and MSNBC and all those national channels just to see what political party is going to be bashed during that segment. Too much emphasis is placed on whether political candidates have raised enough money, where it is coming from, what have planned for our country. Not that those factors aren’t important but why should we care about how many rich people gave/donated money to them?
i agree with brea and i have a big issue about how he views are society i think he is a bad data taker because if he would see the population whish is in school and is trying to make it in life you would see that his facts are all wrong!!!
I am the author of the first article you’ve mentioned. I’m a few months late to this thread, but I found this response to my work on Google and felt the need to respond.
The data I took for the article in question is accurate; the numbers in the article are representative of random samplings of students on campus. The numbers it revealed helped solidify my position on student apathy, but certainly didn’t form it itself.
Before I graduated, I thought most college students are apathetic. I still do.
You complain politics are a competition; they are. Politics is largely a game of chess, but on a much larger scale and with greater implications. But the game-like nature and back-and-forth banter of politics don’t negate its importance. Politics are extremely important, even to young students such as yourself, for a multitude of reasons.
Hey, I love hockey and baseball. Doesn’t mean I can’t follow politics, too. This is something people of our age group should realize; it’s not one or the other. You can be a normal, sports-loving kid and still be informed on American politics.
But thanks for reading it, everyone. I wrote that article a long time ago, and I’m happy to see it spurred some debate.
iceman16: My facts aren’t wrong. You just don’t agree with my proposition.