Why so little interest?
romybian
Posts: 1,644
I'm amazed.
In the past 4 months, I've realized how little college students care and know about what is going on and what has happened in this country....
Most of them end up saying something like "I'm shocked that you that are not from here know something about it" Like it's not important for them or the rest of the world.
I don't know much, precisely cause I'm only here for a rather short period of time, but it's pretty much impossible not to be interested in what goes on, I understand some people don't find politics interesting at all, but at least some curiosity about what's going to happen or why things are the way they are now...
I've only got 1 really interesting conversation with an american about elections, war, society and what not, but the rest of them, I've only had with other international students.
I know this is just one small college in one small town in one of the many states, but still.... It's just shocking. It's not like they're teens, I'm talking about seniors in college.
Also, there's a lot of people that know NOTHING about the rest of the world, so far I've heard that Argentina is in Africa or Europe more than 9 times!
And that India is in Europe and Romania in Asia!
I don't want to be the foreign asswhole criticizing (I really don't know how to spell that word) the country, mine has A LOT of stuff to criticize.
EDIT: Forgot the question... lol
I just wanted to see some american views of why do you think they're so not into it.
In the past 4 months, I've realized how little college students care and know about what is going on and what has happened in this country....
Most of them end up saying something like "I'm shocked that you that are not from here know something about it" Like it's not important for them or the rest of the world.
I don't know much, precisely cause I'm only here for a rather short period of time, but it's pretty much impossible not to be interested in what goes on, I understand some people don't find politics interesting at all, but at least some curiosity about what's going to happen or why things are the way they are now...
I've only got 1 really interesting conversation with an american about elections, war, society and what not, but the rest of them, I've only had with other international students.
I know this is just one small college in one small town in one of the many states, but still.... It's just shocking. It's not like they're teens, I'm talking about seniors in college.
Also, there's a lot of people that know NOTHING about the rest of the world, so far I've heard that Argentina is in Africa or Europe more than 9 times!
And that India is in Europe and Romania in Asia!
I don't want to be the foreign asswhole criticizing (I really don't know how to spell that word) the country, mine has A LOT of stuff to criticize.
EDIT: Forgot the question... lol
I just wanted to see some american views of why do you think they're so not into it.
"The joke in your language won't come out the same" (Tom Petty)
I'm no dude! Dudette!
I'm no dude! Dudette!
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
drugs, television, parents and society.
take one or all...im starting to believe alot of people in this country are raised like soldiers of the ones who came before, therefore these people shouldnt have opinions on existence because they have been raised in a fantasy land and until they break out of it, its a waste of time thinking about it.
maybe we need a foreign influence to remove the blindfolds of so many.... we need to be liberated
fuck social security
That is the problem.
Plain and simple.
If I opened it now would you not understand?
:(
My curiosity is genuine, and I was hoping someone from here (US) might have a better perspective, and could have an idea about how or why did it get to this point.
I'm no dude! Dudette!
Well it sounds like after your short time here you've failed to recognize that the "Land Of Plenty (Of Distraction)" has produced an entire culture so distracted ... by their jobs, their families, the next episode of "House", drugs, booze, more drugs, and still more drugs, the new Harry Potter book, the next Nelly concert (or who EVER the fuck it is), taxes, traffic, malls, christmas, easter, haloween, thanksgiving, pick a holiday here, etc etc etc ...
so distracted by it all, that they could really give two shill shits about politics.
I mean, on SOME level they ALL care.
But the average american feels so goddamn disenfranchised, unable to affect real change, and so "just part of the system" that they not only can't afford to give these notions much thought, even if they did, they wouldn't know what the bloody hell to do anyway.
???
:(
If I opened it now would you not understand?
College students are trained through television and society that college is about personal exploration (which means alcohol, drugs, and sex). For most it is not about bettering themselves, it is just about having a good time. College campuses are sometimes referred to as "bubbles", meaning that for four years you don't have to worry about a full-time job, household chores, family, you can just go to class, party, and have a good time. Where does politics come into that agenda? Politicals is a depressing, black hole.
Americans like to worship alcohol. I am serious. They worship it. Every monday is a discussion about what they drank the weekend before. Every Thursday and Friday is a discussion about what they drank on Wednesday and Thursday night. Most teachers make jokes about alcohol so that they can be friends with the teacher. It is disgusting.
To be fair, there are some that go way overboard on the whole politics/social causes scene. It is just another way of distracting you from your own life.
My perspective as another outsider is that it has something to do with the American media. There is almost nothing on TV in the states from outside the country. There might be the odd news story about Iraq or Israel, but that's it. No foreign movies or TV shows. The place so incredibly insular that people have to make a deliberate effort to be exposed to anything from the outside. I guess a lot of people don't make that effort. If there is nothing there to stimulate their curiosity why would they?
To be fair its not just Americans who have a poor grasp of geography. When I was making plans to go to Israel to do coral research I had more than one Australian (and American) ask me if Israel even has a coastline. And when I was in Israel I had a young Israeli guy tell me that he thought Australia was a small island off the coast of America. What the fuck?
-C Addison
becos entire books could be written trying to find an answer. there are dozens of reasons. you live in rural ohio... it's a strange part of the country. very isolated and out of touch. there's a sense there that what happens on the national scale or international scale in terms of politics just does not matter, becos it is not going to effect what happens in rural ohio. so they don't pay much attention. in other areas, american life moves so fast (we work more hours than any other wester country from what i've heard) that people just don't have the time or energy to concern themselves with things like politics, becos they perceive it as having little effect on their day to day lives. it's why 9/11 was so shocking to many parts of america... they had no idea those sorts of things could happen here or that things like how the us treats the middle east can have an impact on their life here in america. it's just a very isolated/overwhelmed lifestyle for many people that keeps them from knowing or caring about politics.
This topic is usually the first one to pop up when talking about the US between people from other countries, but until I got here I never really thought it went to this level.
Now, reading your answers I see that the sight of it is magnified to me for the fact that I'm both in rural ohio and in college, and of course, I understand how much more of it I'll find here.
I agree with the "distraction" factor. There's so much stuff going on here that I really think is so secondary, and it'll sound funny, but I realized that by looking at people's facebook status. (Facebook itself is another subject too, seemed that if you don't have an account is just the same as if you're not here at all.... Not even cell phones are used as much as that site to contact people). The thing is they go "I'm sooooo excited about -insert meaningless event going on on campus here-" While there are many clubs that organize really interesting things but have so little attendance (debates, mainly), the World Vision club has 2 american members. The rest are international students, the president, Brazilian. And there's only 2 americans attending what we organize, those 2 members.
I'm no dude! Dudette!
Yeah. I'd love to live and work in the US for a year or two. Just to get a better appreciation for the place, cause it really is a fascinating country, and to spend more time in some of the amazing landscapes. The only thing holding me back is the idea of having to work 70 hours a week. I know I would be miserable if I had to spend that much time working, no matter how good the job was. I'm only just holding on to the last threads of my sanity now after two months of non-stop thesis writing (its almost finished now). There's no way I could keep that pace up while knowing how much awesome kayaking and climbing I'm missing out on while stuck at work.
-C Addison
If you worked 70 hours a week you'd be loaded
40 hours is the norm, and in all reality, you work less.
Not in my type of work. I've seen it first hand. For the kind of position I'd be in, 12 hour days six days a week is the expected norm.
-C Addison
What kind of position? I work 84 hours a week, but I get a week off after I work it
but my answer to you will be simple, some people just want to have fun. They don't get the same pleasure of having a knowledge about other countries like you do. Doesn't mean they're stupid or ignorant or don't want to learn. They might not know where Argentina is, but they will certainly tell you all about drugs and different kinds of drugs and how to grow them, because drugs ( or whatever it may be ) is more interesting to them.
What kind of work do you do?!?
I'm talking about postdoctoral research fellows. After seeing the hours they put in over there and the constant, never ending pressure to publish papers I think I might just stay here in lazy Australia
I liked the work ethic in Israel too. Very laid back. Life should be about more than working.
-C Addison
If you look at issues that do affect young people, you will see that they do have some interest but only in what affects them. Most colleges have groups advocating making marijuana legal and/or lowing the drinking age. Or if you back to the 60's young people radically protested the war because they were the ones being sent over to Vietnam.
I think once these students are on their own and realize that all laws affect them they will become interested in politics.
Simple, football and basketball which ='s the height of social activities.
that's what i'll be doing once i finish my law degree. i'll have tons of money and no time to spend it :(
calling college football a social activity is blasphemous!
it is a religion
Not reading my reply correctly is blasphemy. ='s the height of social activities.
No one is interested in too much of anything but football and basketball and the whole social atmosphere surrounding them.
or shroooms .....
i think you put in pretty concisely. although, i love beer, and i can talk up a storm about it (the good beer). but i'd rather be talking politics over a few beers, than reality television or sports or whatever else most people talk about. whenever i turn on MTV or whatever else might be an example of modern teenage/young adult culture and honestly it gets worse and worse every month or so and i swear this country (america) is raising the most insane and narcissistic generation ever.
at the same time, its natural for people to seek a good time. i don't think it's natural for people to do that at the expense of others. there is something in the cultural programming that is making people what they are.
it's a little outdated, but Brave New World speculated about a lot of this.
I'm no dude! Dudette!
they were shocked when they arrived into europe and crossed borders every few hundred miles and languages changed, along with food, cultures, etc. (which is fine, it is very diff to the US)
they were very unaware of world politics. three of them had refused to go to London (this was June 2007) because its "TOO DANGEROUS A PLACE - WITH ALL THE TERRORISM"....i couldnt believe it. even when i said id been to London a few times recently and she should reconsider she refused to even consider it.
the rest of it i could understand, if i lived in Chicago and could holiday in Rockies, or Florida, or head to NY or Boston, cool. but London being ravaged by terrorism (based on one attack??). When i asked if she would go to NY ever they told me yeah, they go all the time....(consistent logic!)
Sooooo...
London is too dangerous to travel to. Its Not "secure".
They had no problem going to Madrid even though far more people died in the Madrid bombings (although they didnt really seem to know much about that attack)
i don't know if it's disgusting, but it is largely true. college is kind of the experimentation period. you get to go wild and enjoy the fun of adulthood without any of the responsibility. it's tempting. no rules or parents, and no bills. so you have sex, party, whatever. you do it while you can with relatively minimal consequences. i wish i could go back
the problem is it is also one time when you have the chance to learn so much and expand your horizons. growing up, your world is pretty narrow and small. then once you settle into the job/family routine, it is similarly limited. so you miss that window to truly explore these kinds of issues.
to be honest no European country is safe,if they somehow offended the terrorists.
Add to your list Russia, those idiots still have the need to poke their noses into our affairs with Chechneya ( of whatever it's spelled like in English )
oh man, i've finally found the sort of present i want for Christmas this time.
exactly, everywheres as safe as everywhere else! which is why distinguishing London as being far more dangerous than the rest of europe is crazy in my eyes. just personal opinion.
as for "our affairs with Chechnya"...what country are you referring to?
Also travelling to a touristy city is not exactly comparable with a politically unstable place