One of my biggest anxieties of the moment is the 2020 United States Presidential election. I am terrified that Donald Trump will be re-elected. I have hope, but I feel that I need to expect the worst case scenario in order to be prepared if he is President of the United States for another four years. I believe that Trump has been a catalyst for closeted bigots to be more outwardly prejudiced (this was always the case in some areas, but I have felt a shift since the 2016 election). As a woman who is coming of age in a nation whose ruler is a tyrannical, openly misogynistic, ableist, racist, and overall hateful, I am concerned for my health and safety as a woman. I am even more concerned for people of color, the latinx community, immigrants, and people of the Muslim and Jewish faith. I think that art, especially political and activist art is crucial during this moment in time and in the years ahead.
I am also worried about voter apathy in the United States. I am aware that a large portion of Generation Z is now old enough to vote; however, I worry that they won’t exercise their constitutional right. We have no control over anything in our nation’s government, except the right to vote. Women and minorities worked relentlessly to seize this right and it is not something anyone should take for granted. I do believe, however, that the electoral college system is extremely flawed. For the time being though, everyone that is able to vote should vote. Nothing is guaranteed, as we learned in the 2016 election. So many people on the left did not vote, because they did not fathom that Trump could win, and yet here we are. I think that my generation has a loud voice, and they should use it in every way they can - both through art and government participation.
I am also concerned about the lack of genuine connections people are finding nowadays. Whether it be romantic, platonic, or familial relationships, I feel that technology has become a huge barrier for human interaction. I think that social media provides an excellent way to get exposure professionally and make personal and vocational connections, but with the rise of ubiquitous technology, people miss so many opportunities for meeting and connecting with people. Whether it’s an iPad given to a child to keep them silent, a quiet family dinner where everyone is on their phone, or only meeting people through dating/hookup apps, human interaction seems to become more shallow and commodified. I think that art is incredibly important for continuing to cultivate raw human connection and forces people to look up from their phones and be truly present. Furthermore, art can be used as a means of encouraging people to live in the moment and not spend every waking second glued to a screen.
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