More than ever, it is critical for the young people of society to be informed about what’s happening in the world. Disinformation and uninformed members of society lead to unchecked powers and exploitation. It seems particularly poignant that when Will Hurd, a former United States Representative, came to speak to us, he focused on civic engagement. Most of his audience could not vote; almost all of them were years away, but Mr. Hurd still felt it imperative to instill a sense of duty in all of us to engage as citizens.
So, if we must engage as citizens, we must be able to trust ourselves to make decisions in our best interest. How can we know if a presidential, congressional, or local candidate will work for us? The answer is news.
Among the reasons people vote one way or another are socioeconomic status, education, and location. Still, the most influential factor is access to and choice of news. With more and more newspapers funneling money into their online presence and advertising and a collective increase in attachment to our devices, news consumption is increasing drastically.
But is more news better? Are we consuming quality, credible information? How does the news we consume affect controversy and conversation in the U.S., specifically at Belmont Hill? These are the questions I set out to answer, and what I found might surprise you.
According to the American Press Institute, 76% of Gen Z and Millenials get news daily, and 96% get news weekly. Of the 41 Belmont Hill students surveyed in forms IV to VI, not a single one characterized himself as uninformed on current events, and on a scale of one to five, 43.9% answered four or five; another 46.3% put themselves right at a three. It is safe to say that Belmont Hill students are consuming information on politics, sports, war, influencers, etc., and that they are confident in their knowledge of what’s going on in the world. However, when asked where they get their news from, the three most picked categories turned out to be the least credible, with around 70% of students answering that they get their information from peers, family, and social media.
These are concerningly high numbers. Belmont Hill is an institution that sends its students to the forefront of healthcare, economics, and politics. It seems worrying that in one of the nation’s top prep schools resides a population of students primarily informed by secondhand accounts and social media. Many of us hope to change the world, as we should, but how can we expect ourselves to do so with such low-quality information? Especially considering that 75% of students said they have at least a medium interest in news and current events, it seems inconsistent that almost the same percentage of students exercise that interest by consuming false, inflammatory, or not-credible information.
But it’s not all bad when you take a deeper look. I asked those surveyed to elaborate further and give more information on the boxes checked. I found some pretty great habits recorded. One student does his own fact-checking: “My sources usually are…social media or hearing it in person, and then googling to fact-check that event.” Another trend I noticed was that when citing the newspapers they read, most students included both left-leaning (The New York Times) and right-leaning (The Wall Street Journal) sources, so there is a sure correlation between those who actively pursue information in the news and those who use a good variety of sources.
Finally, I aimed to get some information about conversations on campus. After all, how much does what people read matter if that information doesn’t travel around the community and influence others? Of the students surveyed, there was an even spread right in the middle regarding how often they have conversations on the news daily, with tiny numbers at the “always” and “never” ends of the spectrum. What surprised me was that about two-thirds of those conversations were reported to lead to a change of opinion. From these results, one thing became abundantly clear: our conversations matter. That passing comment you made about a news article? The other person probably doesn’t read news and won’t fact-check it, so assume that is now part of their actionable beliefs.
How does this all tie back to our responsibility for civic engagement? Well, now we have the data to say that the news we consume impacts our conversations, our conversations impact our peers, and—perhaps most importantly—that our peers change the world. The best way to engage as a citizen, regardless of whether or not you can vote, is to inform yourself. Take the extra minute each morning to read The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, or supplement your Fox News with NBC. For those voting, the upcoming election is a critical time to know your deciding issues. If you enter the ballot box without the whole story, you may vote against ideas that would benefit you the most. If you want to protect yourself and be a force for positive change, build that foundation of facts, find credible information, and expose yourself to multiple perspectives. All of us will be better off because of it.
Indresh Chandel