Last year was one of political disruption. More than 80 countries held elections, and incumbents around the world, on both the left and the right, were voted out by citizens who were frustrated and angry about issues including inflation, immigration and inequality.
Last fall, we asked teenagers around the world what they thought about this global political climate. We invited them to have conversations in response to a series of questions about their political identities and values, the issues that matter to them, today’s information environment and their news habits, as well as how they talk about politics across divides. Then, we challenged them to make something in response.
Now, as a new administration takes office in the United States, we’re publishing the winners. You can see one of them, a painting by Taylor Cook, 16, from Atlanta, at the top of this article.
Here is Taylor’s artist’s statement:
The Gray and Purple
I live between the very liberal and left-leaning climate of my school and social life and the heavily conservative values of my Florida-grown family. Who can reliably fact check if everybody claims everybody else has an agenda?
During the 2020 election, I became aware that sharing my middle-ground or questioning beliefs to my family or friends usually resulted in a lecture from both sides. All I ever heard was “Hillary is crooked!” “Donald Trump is sexist!” “Why would you think that?” “Don’t get that vaccine!” “Your parents are stupid for being anti-vax and here’s why.” “All the Democrats want are your tax dollars.” “What if my Republican neighbor shoots me?” “They’re not your real friends, they’re too liberal.” I’ve heard all of the words in my painting on a regular basis from both friends and family.
We’re told from a young age that we don’t have the full picture without another perspective. But what if two different perspectives are telling two very different stories? Are my friends right when they say that Chick-fil-A wants gay people persecuted? How many of my parents’ conspiracies from Twitter are actually true? Is Donald Trump an evil billionaire looking to rule the world, or is he just a contrarian exposing what we don’t see? How many rich people have our congressional politicians in their pockets? How many of Trump and Harris’s accusatory campaign ads are true?
Some might say that it’s cowardly to hide in the gray area of politics, but it feels so wrong to choose a side when you don’t know who to trust or what’s real.
Can you relate? Why or why not?
Below are four more pieces by some of our teen winners. We invite you to scroll through the full collection, and then tell us what you think by responding to any of the questions at the end of this article.