TRAN: College students should make effort to stay informed
Column: Hung Up
For longer than most of the undergraduate population has been alive, we have been living in the "Information Age." Even just a few years ago, relatively speaking, it used to be common practice to go to the library in order to find sources on popular subjects.
Now, physically going to a library for information is completely unnecessary for the vast majority of purposes. In a matter of seconds, we can look up a plethora of information about any topic imaginable. This can be done from practically anywhere — be it walking down a sidewalk, sitting on a bus or lying in bed.
It is not even a labor-intensive task, like typing a question into the Google search bar or verbally asking questions to digital assistants like Siri.
Having access to a computer and phone at a moment's notice is expected at this point. But with all of this access, or perhaps because of it, it still seems that knowledge and awareness of the news is still quite limited. For younger adults especially, most of the information received comes from social media. While this is not necessarily bad in and of itself, it can be associated with other consequences.
Perhaps as expected, the adults who rely on social media for news mostly tend to be younger. But associated with that, those who depend on social media for these types of updates have some of the lowest political knowledge.
Many conspiracy theories have become popularized in recent years. While some may be taken as jokes or otherwise not be perceived as harmful whatsoever, there will unquestionably be a subset of people who take the information at face value and believe what they see.
The most common way of disseminating this kind of information, as well as the best way to reach the most people with it, is via social media. Again, even if something is not believed by most who see it, that still leaves a decent amount who will believe in it.
It is no surprise, then, that people who rely on social media are more likely to have heard of and spread this kind of information rather than being aware of more proven, less sensational claims.
With a flux of global events in the past few years, it is essential that major news is common knowledge, at least at a basic level. It may be unrealistic for most to catch up on the decades of history that have led to the modern situation. Still, the modern world is globalized and connected, especially in the U.S., meaning that events and decisions occurring across the world can still have impacts at home.
While it may not necessarily be impactful in most people's day-to-day lives, awareness of these kinds of broader issues helps remind us of our place in a larger world with all kinds of other people and conditions that we are rarely exposed to. And it can help connect us to topics that may be important or relevant to life in the surrounding community.
There have, of course, been multiple major labor strikes in New Brunswick from just the past year, including one at Rutgers and one currently ongoing for more than two months. On campus at Rutgers, there were rallies and demonstrations just last week concerning the conflict in Israel and Palestine. The American government is, naturally, involved around the world, dedicating resources to support Israel and Ukraine.
Considering how young adults are able to be politically active, we should be aware of the ongoings of the world as well as in local communities. One cannot effectively vote without knowing the meaning behind the major talking points, hopefully at a deeper level than what the political campaigns and advertisements say.
Of course, young adults can be seen as the least likely group to vote and some of the least politically active among the broader population. But if that is to have any meaning and growth, a baseline awareness level of happenings must be had, rather than just supporting political promises and rhetoric.
A large downside of looking at the news in general is that it can be overwhelmingly negative, but it may also be a source of inspiration. It can help us learn something new and can help students detach from the specific intricacies that come from traditional college courses.
Tyler Tran is a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and minoring in Economics. His column, "Hung Up," runs on alternative Mondays.
*Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
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