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five ways to be politically active as a teenager Julia Jauregui

As a teenager, it can feel like there's no way to make an impact when you can't even vote yet or that there's no point for being politically aware. However, it's good to mention that these political leaders will be the people that decide how our everyday lives will run either now or in the future.

Talk to your family.

If at least one person in your family has the ability to vote, talk to them. Have a one-to-one conversation about both of your point of views. You might never know the impact you can leave on them since teenagers not caring about politics has become so normalized.

Set up a phone bank.

"Phone banking is a form of outreach by political campaigns where volunteers call potential voters to identify supporters, raise funds, get people to attend events, and persuade them to vote for a candidate or a cause." Creating a phone bank, or even simply volunteering for a candidate's campaign, can easily make anyone more politically active. Stepping up and influencing the choice of voters can be the little difference of those few votes won from candidates.

take your views to social media.

In our day and age, teenagers have become more active on social media by reposting about injustice and news around the globe on their stories. To make even more of an impact, speak out on behalf of your candidate's views or even just share a list of voting polls in your area.

get involved in school politics.

If your school offers a Speech and Debate Club or even a U.S. Government class, being part of these classes can be an introduction to the world of politics so that you can learn the basics before going more in-depth on your own. These are also great ways for students to possibly interact with local politicians and gain even more insight.

Contact your representatives

Luckily, there's no minimum age to contact your city council members, state senators, or federal Congress representatives. By doing this, you are confronting issues at hand and while they may not be available to speak in person, messages will always make their way to them through voicemails, written letters and more.

All photos are courtesy of Canva.