A few years ago, I was a TA for a U.S. government class. One of the things I learned is that young people don't watch the news. Or read the newspaper. Why did I learn this in a U.S. government class? Because apparently, this little tidbit of information has implications for voting. Young people don't read the newspaper, and they don't vote. I'm sure that I'm simplifying the argument, but the logic is that by staying informed about what's going on in the world, you get (and remain) interested, you learn about new stuff, you care about stuff, and so you vote. That, in a nutshell, is how the two are connected.
I never read the newspaper until I came to grad school. Some of my fellow grad students lament that their students don't know what's going on in the world, but I don't join them. Because I was one of them. I was one of those undergrads that really didn't know what was going on in the world. Not unless it was really big news, like the 2000 presidential election. I don't know what changed for me, but something did. Maybe I decided that since I was now a grad student, I really needed to know about current events. Maybe I thought I would seem smarter. Is it working? You tell me. I love to incorporate current events in my discussion sections. Sometimes it's the first time the students are learning about what's going on, but most of the time it's not. (I hear that the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are doing their part to keep young people updated on current events)
I was a faithful LA Times subscriber, the print version. In an effort to become environmentally friendly, act my age, and transition to the 21st century, I canceled my subscription last spring. I know, I know, sometimes, I am a little slow to adapt to new technology. I was among the last of my friends to get a cell phone and a computer. I started texting only a year and a half ago. So it's not surprising that I was among the last of my friends to read the newspaper online. It seemed like a good decision at the time. After all , I rarely read the business section and I read the sports section only when 1) it is during the Olympics, 2) it is during the baseball playoff season, and 3) the Twins are playing the Angels. So not only was I wasting paper, but I was paying for sections that I wasn't even reading.
I tried my best to read the online version, but I was lost in the morning without my paper to go with my coffee. What was I going to do now while I ate breakfast? I made several unsuccessful efforts to read the news off my laptop while eating my breakfast drinking my coffee. It never worked.
I finally gave in last week and renewed my subscription to the LA Times. Finally I have something to do while I eat breakfast. And I feel so much better now, knowing what is going on in the world. It's a great way to start my day.
I never read the newspaper until I came to grad school. Some of my fellow grad students lament that their students don't know what's going on in the world, but I don't join them. Because I was one of them. I was one of those undergrads that really didn't know what was going on in the world. Not unless it was really big news, like the 2000 presidential election. I don't know what changed for me, but something did. Maybe I decided that since I was now a grad student, I really needed to know about current events. Maybe I thought I would seem smarter. Is it working? You tell me. I love to incorporate current events in my discussion sections. Sometimes it's the first time the students are learning about what's going on, but most of the time it's not. (I hear that the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are doing their part to keep young people updated on current events)
I was a faithful LA Times subscriber, the print version. In an effort to become environmentally friendly, act my age, and transition to the 21st century, I canceled my subscription last spring. I know, I know, sometimes, I am a little slow to adapt to new technology. I was among the last of my friends to get a cell phone and a computer. I started texting only a year and a half ago. So it's not surprising that I was among the last of my friends to read the newspaper online. It seemed like a good decision at the time. After all , I rarely read the business section and I read the sports section only when 1) it is during the Olympics, 2) it is during the baseball playoff season, and 3) the Twins are playing the Angels. So not only was I wasting paper, but I was paying for sections that I wasn't even reading.
I tried my best to read the online version, but I was lost in the morning without my paper to go with my coffee. What was I going to do now while I ate breakfast? I made several unsuccessful efforts to read the news off my laptop while eating my breakfast drinking my coffee. It never worked.
I finally gave in last week and renewed my subscription to the LA Times. Finally I have something to do while I eat breakfast. And I feel so much better now, knowing what is going on in the world. It's a great way to start my day.
No comments:
Post a Comment