Throughout history, young people have been led to believe that their opinions aren't valid. For years, we have been teased with the promise of one day being "old enough" to stay out late and speak our minds and have our words truly matter.

With the primary elections for the presidential race of 2016 well underway, I think it's crucial for young people to be reminded that they can have a say in how this nation is run and that they are capable of generating change.

With the technological advancements, our society has exhibited in the last decade, it has been made very easy to keep up to date with current events and form basic opinions on the state of political affairs, film and television news, celebrity gossip, etc. The televised political debates between presidential candidates are no longer the primary way to hear opponents endorse themselves and learn about their stances. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and countless other multimedia outlets have made it possible for a politician like Bernie Sanders to tweet a reply to a curious 15-year-old's question, upload a profitable soundbite from his latest speech, and write a status about his beliefs surrounding immigration, all within five minutes for an unlimited number of people to see.

What these media tools do is make politics accessible, relatable, and more appealing, especially to younger demographics like college students and newly turned 18-year old's. For the first time in a presidential election cycle, the candidates are reaching out to us specifically. They're using hashtags and emojis and are active on social media what seems like 24 hours a day, and they are desperate for our vote. So why is it that less than half of voting-age youth are making it to the polls come election time?

If you have a political candidate that you want to win, that's a fantastic start. Maybe you've followed them on twitter and shared their quotes on Facebook and bought promotional stickers and buttons to put on your things. You're proud to advertise yourself as an active, opinionated youth, embodying the opposite of the laziness that is expected of us "millennials." But if you aren't registering to vote, sending in a request form for an absentee ballot (if you're going to school outside of your county), and actually voting, you're doing yourself and our country a great disservice.

We are not the first generation to recognize the fault's in our federal government and want to make the world the better place, and we won't be the last. Trust me, I know that it's hard to believe that we have the power to change anything. You've either heard your friends say it or you've said it yourself: "I'm just a kid. I don't know enough about politics to vote. It doesn't even matter." But this is our world, the one in which we will make careers for ourselves and raise our children.

We will make thousands of mistakes, but let us not let one of them be that we didn't get off our asses, take the initiative, and fill out a piece of paper. Our vote matters. Your vote matters. No matter who it is you're voting for, the most incredible thing about America is that you have the right to do it. This is a privilege we seldom express gratitude for, and it should not be taken lightly. Educate yourself, become a part of the conversation, cast your vote, and make a difference.

(If you're unsure of where to start learning about the different presidential candidates and don't know who your views align with, take this quiz! It's easy, takes less than 15 minutes, and will tell you in detail what you agree/disagree with in regards to each candidate running for president this election cycle. It's as easy as an internet quiz, so you have no excuse!)