Throughout the country there has been a rise in youth activism in recent months. So how come teens are becoming more politically active now? It might be because teenagers feel a deep concern about important issues in the country when they arise. For example, during the early 2000s recession, there was a greater worry among teens and adults about the economy. This could be said as of right now due to the 2020 Presidential Election,  the recent Black Lives Matter protests that sparked across the world and the trying times due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This can be said for the students at Burlingame as well, who became more politically active through social media posts and attending protests. Students have become more interested in sharing their voices on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. The goal is to spread awareness on pressing issues for enough people to see and get involved to make a change. For example, teens have created TikTok accounts such as @conservativehypehouse and @gen.zforchange. Both groups are made up of multiple creators with the like-minded political beliefs and talk about issues and their views on them, as well as debunking other videos created which they feel go against their personal beliefs. 

Senior Vedkia Bhaumik started to listen in on political issues at this time. 

“I got invested in politics after the 2016 election because it completely defied political decorum and norms. Before that point, I just thought politics was a thing that kept the wheels of America going, which didn’t seem interesting to me,” Bhaumik said. 

According to the Atlantic, certain moral traits may be connected to political opinions more than people think. Three scientists who published the American Journal of Political Science suggests that political opinions might be the leading factor that we build our morals around. 

Junior Aideen Delahunt,  agrees with the idea that there is a strong correlation between morals and politics.

“My morals, values and political beliefs are completely intertwined. My political views can all boil down to one statement: everyone deserves fundamental rights,” Delahunt said. 

Delahunt’s involvement in politics was sparked by her family, who have been politically active all her life. Delahunt uses her Instagram account to spread awareness on topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement, issues on race and gender and other informative posts.  

“My family is very political, so I’ve always grown up around debates and activism. Since then I have continuously learned about race, gender, sexuality, religion and elitism,” Delahunt said. “Not being political is a privilege.”