Living in Johnson County definitely has its perks. We all know the stereotype of living in “the bubble.”
And it is pretty accurate, actually.
It definitely affects us once we grow up and leave home. For anyone moving away from Kansas after high school, the real world isn’t anything like this.
Many kids at Blue Valley, as sad as it sounds, don’t pay attention to anything that doesn’t relate to them. Some are so lost when it comes to current events.
They don’t know who ran against President Barack Obama in the election — or they don’t know Obama is president.
Sure, teenagers claim to know what’s going on in the world and pay attention to the news. Sorry, but Twitter doesn’t count as a reliable news source. You could try CNN or BBC.
We need to be educated on the election and other matters that will eventually influence us in some way.
It might not be our problem now, but in just a few short years, it will be. We will soon be the adults running the country.
Isn’t that a little scary to think about?
Taking classes such as America Decides and Contemporary Issues can keep students aware of the world outside the “JoCo bubble.”
These classes should be mandatory for all students. They will ultimately be helpful in the end. In Contemporary Issues, students research articles about conflicts around the world, or right in America. The class helps students become aware and understand information they may hear on the news, if they even happen to watch the news.
Overall, it keeps them up to date with current events.
In America Decides, students discuss the recent election and earn a greater understanding of politics. This class educates students so they can make political decisions for themselves in the future.
Besides politics, there are things teenagers can be oblivious to, such as people using food stamps.
Most students aren’t worried about going hungry but that doesn’t mean everyone isn’t.
Even people in the Johnson County area have been affected by the bad economy. Unemployment in this area is more common than it appears.
We don’t have to fight for the right to go to school. We don’t have a war going on anywhere close to home. But we still have some issues in our society.
There are so many things happening in the world that don’t directly affect us, but it won’t kill us to know about them.
If teenagers would pay attention to something besides what’s trending on Twitter, it may pop this JoCo bubble.