Our generation has been hailed as the most politically disinterested and disengaged group in the history of the nation. Now, before rolling your eyes at this quite impressive record, think of what that means. 

Our generation is bombarded with an influx of media every moment of every day, so it is not surprising that politics falls to the bottom of our daily priorities. However, as we get older, this lack of political involvement will, in turn, affect the influence and voice we have in our government. 

The recent rise in popularity of dystopian novels, like The Hunger Games and Divergent, is not just a result of writers running out of ideas. They are a response to our generation's disillusionment with big government and politics. We have been increasingly exposed to the bad boy image of our government and have come to mistrust it, as a result. People are catching on to the realistic depiction of a not-too-distant America and the encroaching scope of government in novels like, The Hunger Games. Think about the fear of being watched and secretive government deals. These are not only things that Katniss Everdeen worries about. After controversies about privacy invasion and insider trading, Americans have become more paranoid and suspicious about big government.

The real problem of our generation, though, is that if events like those in The Hunger Games were to come to pass, they would have happened right under our pathetically disinterested noses. We are not paying enough attention to the politics happening all around us every day, and it will only lead us deeper into the political rabbit hole we have gotten ourselves into. So, unless you like the idea of being flung into a high-tech death pit, try putting more umph into your political participation. 

As elections come around, get out and vote. Learn about issues you could actually care about and fight for. Know what is happening in the world outside of awesome Athens. We are pretty lucky to have a voice, albeit small, in our government, even though we don't always feel like using it. But, when you are feeling discouraged, just think of that death pit. And don't forget, "may the odds be ever in your favor."