TikTok is a staple of many Staples High School students’ lives. During the recent debate over its possible shutdown in the US, “06880” interns Avni Krishna and Camille Blundell set out to explore the app, and its hold on Westport teenagers. They write:
With over 1.582 billion users worldwide, TikTok stood to lose a whopping 170 million from its American audience when the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the beloved app.
Of that 170 million, 63% are ages 13-17. This large following meant the ban would be severely felt in communities of teens, both on TikTok and in real life.
Not only was it used as a creative and entertainment outlet for many, but it was also a place where community and like-minded individuals could find one another.
There was an initial shock, as teens opened their app and found it unscrollable. But the grief was rescinded in less than 12 hours.
What did they do during the half-day period of dopamine withdrawals? For many teens, the ban meant going onto other popular apps that had implemented a TikTok-like feature of short-form content in a scrollable algorithm.
Yet whether it was YouTube shorts, Rednote, Instagram reels, or even picking up a book, teens yearned for their familiar app.
When the app returned, many saw noticeable differences with their “For You” pages. First, users were greeted with a message stating, “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
This raised alarm bells, as a government and president’s involvement in an app regarding free speech can get complicated.
Users pointed out that political content was being censored, and artists and editors found it harder to meet the app’s harsh creation guidelines.
For many young people, this created a sense of dread. On one hand, the app that has been a staple in many Gen-Zers’ lives was back. On the other hand, the worries of creative and political censorship caused many to feel conflicted about their app use.
To learn more about youth’s perspective on the ban, we talked to 2 Staples students, senior Mia Bomback (who had a TikTok video go viral of her acceptance to Dartmouth) and sophomore Charlotte Brookebanks.
With Election Day near, both presidential campaigns hope for big youth turnouts.
But other races are on the ballot too. Are young voters interested?
“06880” interns Avni Krishna and Camille Blundell are. Though too young to vote this year — they’re sophomores at Staples High School — they are involved in the world, and concerned about the future.
Recently, they conducted a series of interviews with local political figures. Then they produced this insightful, informative and important video:
Avni and Camille also write:
A new generation of voters now shares the stress of deciding where their ballots should go. But in this volatile election season, we know that the policies we want reflected in our everyday lives starts at the state level.
It is extremely vital that returning and new voters know their candidates, and pay attention to the down-ballot races.
As high school students who want to see our voices represented, we interviewed candidates Ceci Maher (D) for District 26 State Senate, Jonathan Steinberg (D) and John Bolton (R) for District 136 State Representative, and Westport Democratic Committee chair Michelle Mechanic, to understand how they view young people’s place in politics, and how they hope new voters go about the first execution of their civic responsibility.
The best place to find information on candidates is https://www.vote411.org/. You can look at the candidates in local elections, research their beliefs and policies, and get to know their backgrounds.
Younger voters are often apprehensive about going to the polls for the first time. Pressures from society and social media transform into nerves and anxiety for their role in the election. Contrastingly, young people who aren’t old enough to vote want to know how they can have an impact on such an important election.
We started by speaking to Jonathan Steinberg, running for re-election for the House of Representatives. He detailed the importance of the youth vote and perspective, while also encouraging that, more than anything young voters do their “homework.”
Steinberg’s challenger, House candidate John Bolton, talked about how he and the Republican campaign have gone about canvassing and outreach to the new generation of voters.
Similar to his Democratic counterparts, Bolton warned against the epidemic of fake news on social media, and emphasizes how imperative it is that new and return voters take their time to look into policies and ideology, when deciding who to vote for.
At the Westport Farmers’ Market this summer, young people urged everyone to vote.
State Senator Ceci Maher described the many ways she and her campaign view the incorporation of the youth during the vital moments of the election process.
Maher herself has knocked on around 2,800 doors. Her campaign has knocked on over 5000. “I was lucky to have 65 interns who were students in high school and college.” Maher said.
After attending Ridgefield High School’s mock election and seeing the turnout of young, passionate attendees, Maher reflected on the importance of youth showing up.
“The questions that they asked are important because it shows directionally what are the issues they are interested in, and they’re going to be the next generation of voters. So for me, hearing what they have to say really helps me inform myself when I’m thinking about what legislation is going to look like. I just think they are really important and I don’t want to dismiss them in any way. I just learn so much when I walk through the doors with my interns.”
Maher said that some of the main issues she focuses on are climate change and the safety of children in education, as she has worked on the board of Sandy Hook Promise.
She also recommended that new voters, no matter what their stances are now, thoroughly look into the candidates running so they can find who best represents their views and morals, regardless of what party they lean toward.
Like her Republican counterpart, Westport Democratic Town Committee chair Michelle Mechanic works behind the scenes of campaigns and canvassing efforts. She detailed the many ways the Democratic Committee has gathered the passions of civically engaged teens, and hopes to utilize young voices.
Talking to the candidates and the chair of a political committee in Westport, there was a clear common theme: Do your research. Look into the individuals running; don’t just cast a vote blindly, or based on surface level information.
Additionally, understand the impact of youth presence and representation in politics. All the politicians we talked to want younger people involved in campaigns, civic duties, and voicing their concerns, because that is what will cause change.
More than anything, the candidates discussed how the world will be in the hands of the coming generation. It is youth’s responsibility to get as involved now, to push for change in the future.
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