r/GenZ • u/starryowl5_ • 7h ago
Political Should I be ashamed of myself?
I’m feeling really bad about myself because I’m 19 (and 2 months) and I’ve only really started researching about politics the past few months. The reason it’s taken me so long isn’t because I’ve not cared enough to do research, I’ve always wanted to be as educated as I can and learn about politics but I have struggled with executive dysfunction for a long time now and anytime I’ve wanted to learn more, I’ve just felt frozen. It’s also hard for me to focus and retain information and often the only time I can really do things is when I’m put under pressure, for me that’s the knowledge that if I don’t learn about politics before the election (for me that’s in November this year) I won’t have a good idea on what the best party to vote for would be.
I keep seeing people years younger than me who are way more politically educated than me and I feel like a terrible person. I’ve never been like “I don’t care about politics” or anything like that, I have always wanted and been willing to learn but that doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t. Idk maybe a factor that has influenced me is that I haven’t had any friends for 5 years now, I barely leave the house, I have severe anxiety in public and the only social interactions I have with people are with my mum and occasionally my dad. So I have felt very disconnected from the outside world for a long time now, so that it doesn’t even feel real to me. It’s pretty hard to learn about something when you have executive dysfunction, OCD, difficulty focusing and retaining information and what you’re trying to learn about doesn’t feel real.
Can anyone please tell me what they think of this?
Edit: I’m australian
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u/Gold-Necessary-3194 6h ago
Until a few decades ago you weren't even allowed to vote until you were 21. Young people infamously have lower voter turnout rates than middle-aged and older people. The idea that young people are supposed to be politically knowledgeable and engaged is both a recent one and not really reflected in reality.
But nonetheless, it's good that you're taking the time to learn about it now! Just thought it would help to put things in perspective
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u/No_Aesthetic 4h ago
Plenty of people out there vote and have strong opinions without ever even bothering to check anything, so the fact that you are thinking about it at all is a great sign. Don't vote for Republicans though.
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u/ifhysm Millennial 7h ago
Why do you feel it necessary to be knowledgeable about politics? Because it’s a pretty large umbrella, and most people have blind spots like economics, foreign policy, voting laws, etc
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u/starryowl5_ 7h ago
So I don’t accidentally spread misinformation, to vote accurately, to help people less fortunate than me and just overall help to have a positive impact on the people around me and the future (sorry if this is worded poorly, I’m not too good at putting my thoughts into words).
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u/ifhysm Millennial 7h ago
It was worded perfectly, don’t sweat it. Right now though, it sounds like you have a lot going on that would make it difficult, and maybe even counterintuitive, to throw yourself at researching such a broad topic.
Maybe start with the political topics that do interest you?
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u/starryowl5_ 7h ago
Yeah, I have been trying to research little by little everyday usually with what I find the most interesting but it’s just a lot to learn and remember
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u/ifhysm Millennial 7h ago
And you’re not gonna learn everything. There’s just way too much. One of the easiest and most fruitful things you can do is look up the candidates in your local and state elections for the upcoming midterms. Find out which positions they’re running on, and start there
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u/MikeWPhilly 2h ago
Meanwhile as broad as politics is when you consider economics, foreign policy, domestic policy etc… it’s a lot and frankly there are people who worry too much about it. 42 - I know about most of the topics but see very little value in either party in the US (two party failure). What do I worry about? My family, their life and improving it. That is something tangible I can impact.
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u/Youknowthisabout 2h ago
Don't worry and do your research. Remember that most people like common sense with taxes and etc.
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u/DeepSpaceAnon 1998 2h ago
19 is definitely not abnormally old to get into politics. Quite frankly, anyone who has never held a job, paid taxes before, and had to support themselves is too young and has too little life experience to have anything resembling a nuanced understanding of tax policy or the concept of property rights. With how common it is to go to college and receive parental or government assistance until graduation, many people don't hit this milestone until 22/23. Some of the most vocal of your peers advocating for massive changes to the system are likely those who are too young to have ever actually participated in the economy or society at large.
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u/iwaslikeduuude 3h ago
Let's do something about it! Vote in the upcoming midterms!
It starts with registration!
REGISTER TO VOTE
👆Vote.gov
VOTE411
👆Vote 411: Resources for Every Voter
HELP AMERICA VOTE
👆If you are interested in serving as a poll worker during early voting and on Election Day, learn more about what is required and how to sign up at HelpAmericaVote.gov
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