In an opinionated article for GameInformer Magazine, titled "Gamers Should Be Voting, So Why Aren't We?" Senior Previews Editor Matthew Miller attempts to entice readers and gamers alike into getting politically active.
This is a critical recruitment time as the November 6th, 2018 Mid-term Election is just around the corner. Midterm elections in the United States are held in November every four years, near the midpoint of a president's four-year term of office. They are considered to be general elections that affect the offices of members of the United States Congress, including all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and the full terms for 33 or 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate.
Unfortunately, midterm elections usually produce a significantly lower voter turnout than most presidential elections. As such, Miller appeals to gamers' sense of choice and their drive for social change. Gamers provide a youthful and unique demographic. Miller cites a 2017 Pew Research Center Study which determined that "60 percent of Americans between [the ages of][sic] 18 to 29 said that they played video games regularly" Yet, in combination with data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, "...only 19.9 percent of people aged 18 to 29" voted in the last mid-term election cycle which was held in 2014.
So, based on these separate studies, one can infer that there is a severe lack of young adults participating in the general elections.
Now, granted that both sources of data come from different sources and their respective studies, but it does illustrate a curious discrepancy between voter turnout and the number of potential voters in that age category that were gamers, who actually went to the polls, and voted, albeit, more information would be necessary to establish a better correlation. A proper study should be conducted asking gamers in that age category whether or not they actually voted in the mid-term election.
One of the possible explanations for a lack of voter participation is that there is a longstanding belief that one vote does not make a difference or that it won't change the status quo, but that is far from the truth. Miller appeals to the current state of affairs circulating online forums and many other media outlets that are of the utmost importance to gamers. For example, he cites the issues of Net Neutrality, and mass shooting related to gun control and the blame placed upon violent video games. He also cites the terrible tragedy that befell the people of Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2018 during a Madden tournament. One must also consider that there is strength in numbers and that if friends and family come together on an issue, it can make a monumental change. Miller mentions that Epic Games' Fortnite title has 125 million players. Even if a fraction of those were U.S. citizen eligible to vote and did so, the turnout would be extraordinary.
I heartily encourage my friends and family (gamers and non-gamers alike) to vote and I provide a link to the Video Game Voters Network right here on my blog to garner positive changes in our American Society. Let your voices be heard!
Works Cited
Miller, Matt. “Gamers Should Be Voting, So Why Aren't We?” GameInformer, Oct. 2018, p. 32.
This is a critical recruitment time as the November 6th, 2018 Mid-term Election is just around the corner. Midterm elections in the United States are held in November every four years, near the midpoint of a president's four-year term of office. They are considered to be general elections that affect the offices of members of the United States Congress, including all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and the full terms for 33 or 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate.
Unfortunately, midterm elections usually produce a significantly lower voter turnout than most presidential elections. As such, Miller appeals to gamers' sense of choice and their drive for social change. Gamers provide a youthful and unique demographic. Miller cites a 2017 Pew Research Center Study which determined that "60 percent of Americans between [the ages of][sic] 18 to 29 said that they played video games regularly" Yet, in combination with data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, "...only 19.9 percent of people aged 18 to 29" voted in the last mid-term election cycle which was held in 2014.
So, based on these separate studies, one can infer that there is a severe lack of young adults participating in the general elections.
Now, granted that both sources of data come from different sources and their respective studies, but it does illustrate a curious discrepancy between voter turnout and the number of potential voters in that age category that were gamers, who actually went to the polls, and voted, albeit, more information would be necessary to establish a better correlation. A proper study should be conducted asking gamers in that age category whether or not they actually voted in the mid-term election.
One of the possible explanations for a lack of voter participation is that there is a longstanding belief that one vote does not make a difference or that it won't change the status quo, but that is far from the truth. Miller appeals to the current state of affairs circulating online forums and many other media outlets that are of the utmost importance to gamers. For example, he cites the issues of Net Neutrality, and mass shooting related to gun control and the blame placed upon violent video games. He also cites the terrible tragedy that befell the people of Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2018 during a Madden tournament. One must also consider that there is strength in numbers and that if friends and family come together on an issue, it can make a monumental change. Miller mentions that Epic Games' Fortnite title has 125 million players. Even if a fraction of those were U.S. citizen eligible to vote and did so, the turnout would be extraordinary.
I heartily encourage my friends and family (gamers and non-gamers alike) to vote and I provide a link to the Video Game Voters Network right here on my blog to garner positive changes in our American Society. Let your voices be heard!
Works Cited
Miller, Matt. “Gamers Should Be Voting, So Why Aren't We?” GameInformer, Oct. 2018, p. 32.
