We live in a fast-paced world full of on-the-go consumers and all they want is content. They love content. It’s what drives them — what gives them life.
Whether most people think about it or not, they enjoy getting news. It’s important to stay informed, and many people judge a person’s overall intelligence by how much they know regarding current events, world policies, international affairs, etc.
When constantly consuming information, it is important that there is a clear and reliable source. Out of the multiple sources of information (social media, cable news, online news) there is one platform that triumphs at bringing its users what they need: political satires.
Political satires grew in popularity during the reigns of “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Although these two have moved on to tackle different projects, their impact is unparalleled with how it affected a whole demographic that had never been reached by news outlets: young people.
Tuning in to a cable news channel you’re most likely going to see some irrelevant news. People experience either extensive coverage to the point where it’s not even interesting or news that skims over the subject with no depth. The problem is that they run for so long that they lose the attention of the viewer.
Political satires are run on television which means they are kept in smaller time frames.
The best show under this genre currently is “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”
Oliver was a correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Although the full episodes of his show are only available through HBO, his team uploads a 20-minute clip every week to YouTube free of charge for anybody to view.
These clips that he uploads cover topics from lead, to Puerto Rico’s debt, to the upcoming election. It is currently in its second season and stronger than ever.
As a college student, it is difficult to find time during a busy schedule to watch this content, especially since national and world issues are not a student’s top priority.
However, it should become more important to students to learn about their country and the world they are living in. To stay up to date on the important issues means to be smarter about the world. It helps prevent ignorance on certain issues.
Especially when it comes to the upcoming election. Many college-aged students will be voting, yet many only have a very general understanding of the candidates. They listen to the opinions of others and follow them rather than educate themselves.
Don’t hate Ted Cruz just because everybody hates him. Hate Ted Cruz because you know information about him that makes you hate him.
In about as long as it takes to watch an episode on Netflix, a person can become enlightened on very important topics. They can enable themselves to be an ally for certain issues with a solid understanding of the subject rather than regurgitating the ideas of others.
As college students graduate and filter into the world, they need to ensure that they live in an educated world — an understanding world that knows more than just what a degree can give.
Sam Rios can be reached at [email protected] or @theeemessiah on Twitter.
