Why America's Teens Are Worried

Most adults wonder what teenagers think. Now we have an opportunity to find out.

For the past couple of months, thousands of students across the nation have spent time in the classroom thinking about this country's political and social issues and then writing their ideas down in the Letters to the Next President project sponsored by the National Writing Project and Google. These letters have just been published this weekend and now everyone can see what the next generation thinks. Below is a three-minute video now is up that shows students around the country talking about the issues that are most important to them.

To help users search the Letters to the Next President website has a built in search bar that enables users to search by geographical region and by topic.

Kids loved the project because it helped them feel connected to the political process. It also helped that their letters were also going to have a national audience. They wrote the letters using the collaborative features of Google Docs which enabled them to work with peers and get quick online feedback from their teachers.

Check out the letters. You will be surprised to hear what students think.

Disclaimer: I am a long time high school journalism teacher at Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA, but I also have children who are either employed by or otherwise have a financial interest in Google. I am not employed by Google and own no Google stock.

Comments

[robXdion]

Yeah, and then they turn 22 and don't vote.

[Puskara]

Well this is certainly a good idea. Anything which gets people thinking about issues is good.

However I read the letters and found them pretty depressing. Poor logic, invalid reasoning, and general ignorance of the facts regarding the subjects of their letter was common. Many letters showed evidence of conservative religious indoctrination.

I chose to review letters referencing abortion and found them to be almost universally anti-choice. One letter exhorted the president to consider the below facts when evaluating the issue. The "facts" were that the student considers abortion to be murder and it should not be allowed for any reason. The letter, like many, was written in the religious code that has been developed over the last 30 years to try and make their religious views sound like valid political topics. This letter is all too typical of the ones found there.

I am happy to see this project out there and dismayed to see that little thought is being put into many of these letters and that they often amount to little more than a rhetorical echo chamber for the views of parents. I have see the new generation and they are us.

Puskara

[helpforaddicts]

One of the biggest problems facing the youth of today is drug addiction. After years of the war on drugs the enemy keeps winning despite the enormous spending going on to stop it. There is a lot of government support for drug addiction through the proliferation of the uncontrolled acceptance of prescription drug usage by the medical community that create legal drug addicts funded by private and public insurance. Please read more about the solution at http://www.drugrehab.org

[SonofLiberty1]

When you look at the war in Iraq, and you wonder about McCain, you have to consider the fact that these young folks might NOT want to go to war!

I have a 12 1/2 year old nephew, and he has told me HE DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO WAR!

That's one reason I will NEVER SUPPORT McCAIN!

[jestfam]

second part read below this first

I enjoy my freedom and I enjoy not having a president that does everything I want because that is what make America great. Obama does not do or believe or lean in every direction that I do But I like him over McCain mainly because I think that McCain is not in touch with todays world. I think his time has passed. I am a life long republican but I will always want a president that would be willing to defend America when and if the time came. If I thougt Obama could not do that I would not even think of voting for him. War Sucks! But so does having to learn a new language or religion after someone kicks our butts and changes our lives forever. I am not a warmonger I am a realist. Our war in The Middle east has just begun. People over there will look for bigger and better ways than 911 maybe not now but eventually it will come. I have taught my children to be proud to be Americans and never let anyone put them down for being one. I hope that you will tell your nephew that sometime a sacrifice needs to be made in order for this great country to survive and our families to countinue to enjoy our freedoms that we have. We are not perfect but, we are a work in progress.