You watched Titanic when Leonardo was popular. You danced the Macerena when that was cool. You got a piercing when that was the thing to do. And now that it's election season, several organizations are trying to convince you and other young people that voting is also in style.
MTV, usually known for hit shows The Real World and TRL, is playing a huge role in getting young people out to vote. MTV cosponsors three nonpartisan voting campaigns: Rock the Vote, Choose or Loose and Citizen Change. Not only do these campaigns encourage voting registration, they also inform young people of their political power.
They present young people with dismal statistics of the of the United States, with the intention of giving young people the incentive to go to the voting booths on Nov. 2.
Unlike traditional voting campaigns, MTV spruced things up a bit by placing an emphasis on celebrities. Instead of these celebrities endorsing their albums and movies, they are urging young people to vote. MTV has even interrupted its programs to air commercials featuring celebrities, such as P. Diddy, advising young people to make a difference in this election.
The main agenda of these organizations is to inspire as many young people as possible to vote in this election - the Rock the Vote campaign goal is to get 20 million 18 to 24-year-olds to the polls. Rock the Vote's Web site, http://www.rockthevote.com, lists five reasons why young people should vote: jobs and finances, cost of education, health care, war and the draft and voting rights. According to the Web site, unemployment for young adults is typically 40 to 50 percent higher than the national average. It states that many young people "struggle to get on a career path, they are regulated to part-time and temporary jobs that lack benefits, good pay and basic rights."
The Rock the Vote Campaign also addresses the rising costs of college education, another big concern for young voters. According to the Web site, for the nearly two-thirds of college students who graduate with student loan debt, the average burden nears $19,000. Meanwhile, 22 percent of high school graduates are unable to attend a four-year college due to cost.
Nearly 13 million people between the ages of 18 and 29 have no health care. There are 140,000 American troops in Iraq, and 80 percent of them are under the age of 35. The Web site also asserts that "the voting rights of college students are under attack."
Following the example of MTV's Rock the Vote and Choose or Loose programs, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, hip-hop entrepreneur, has also created a voting campaign. MTV sponsors Combs' campaign, Citizen Change, along with other partnerships such as Black Entertainment Television (BET), Declare Yourself, Radio One and Sean John. The campaign is known for its catchy slogan "Vote or Die!" His campaign includes celebrities wearing the trademark t-shirt that sports the words "Vote or Die!" in blue and red capitalized letters.
Though his campaign targets all young people, it is especially focused on young African-Americans. Every Tuesday, Combs stars as a guest on 106 and Park, a program similar to TRL that plays rap and R&B music videos, to encourage urban youth to register and vote. According to BET Nightly News, 2 million African-Americans registered to vote. The news program asserted that this increase in registration was due in part to the hip-hop community involvement in voting campaigns.
Regardless of voting campaigns, there are young people who know the significance of voting - sophomore Desirae Vasquez is one of them. She believes it is important for young people to vote.
"Yes, it is important for young people to vote. A lot of policies have long lasting effects; they will come in effect when we're out in the work force," said Vasquez.
Though Vasquez believes it is important for young people to vote, she isn't so sure that campaigns featuring celebrities are effective. "I think it helps a little bit, but people are either going to vote or be apathetic, regardless of celebrity endorsements," she said.
Sophomore Quinn Rowan also believes it is important for young people to vote.
"I find that there is a big difference between the beliefs that we have and our parents' generation," said Rowan. "For policies to change, we have to express that."
Like Vasquez, Rowan is not convinced that campaigns featuring celebrities are significant in promoting the vote. "I don't think it is effective. Young kids should vote because they want to. It is not something to do just because celebrities tell you to do it."
