When Marianna Castro, 22, became an American citizen this past July, she was thrilled at the thought of voting this November. Since late last year she has been keeping tabs on the election, even when she wasn't sure of her voter status. Since pledging her allegiance to the American flag and registering, she shifted her interest in the campaign to encourage others to get passionate about the election and vote.
"Young people think politics are boring," said Castro. "But I want them to know that their one vote can make a difference."
Since early 2008 when election fever set in, many young adults have been using media like Facebook and Youtube to express political views or to learn about what is going on in the political scene, two sites that were virtually unknown during the 2004 elections.
Castro, like most college students, can't go a day without logging into her Facebook account; whether it's to add new friends, post pictures from that weekend's parties or recently, to assert support for her candidate, Senator Barack Obama.
On Election Day, Facebook's main page features a counter with the number of how many people have claimed to vote. By 6:04 p.m., the rapidly changing counter was at 3,546,449.
On the same website, users can post free partisan gifts on friends' profiles, like blue "I ♥ Obama" or red "I ♥ McCain" badges.
"Lots of my friends changed their status to show that they voted," said Castro. "Everyone is really into [the election], even non-voters."
To spread her support for Obama, Castro sent out numerous Obama gifts to friends as a fun way to show her love for the candidate.
Another big hit in this year's elections is video sharing.
On Youtube, just a week before Election Day, a video of 6th and 7th graders at an Atlanta school received great praise for their remake of T.I.'s chart topping hit, "Whatever You Like", where the students change the lyrics to "You can vote however you like." That same week, the students were featured on CNN.
The popularity of the election for young voters even spread to the fashion industry. At Urban Outfitters, a popular clothing store among young adults, political agenda apparel has seasoned the racks, selling fast.
In the store's holiday-themed window display at Aventura Mall, stand three mannequins donning colorful Obama shirts. But, that is not all.
The retail store also sells six styles of coffee mugs, including the Democrat-friendly "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican" or "Republicans Kick Ass," with the picture of a donkey for the more conservative crowd.
This year's election produced a newfound patriotism among young voters, with the youth demographic turning out in record numbers at the polls.
"More people realized that being ignorant about politics is no longer 'cool'." Said Castro. "The election has a direct effect on our future, and young people are finally getting the picture."
By Marlene Pimentel; Edited by: Nicole Rodriguez
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