A Message to Push the Vote Forward

In late September, 2018 an organization by the name of "Knock the Vote" had created and released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) as a way to solve a common problem during voting turnouts, that being the lack of participation and representation of the younger generation.

As a way to combat the issue, Knock the Vote's PSA is now being broadcasted across the States. The PSA confronts the younger generation and challenges them to vote using a clever method. Right from the beginning of the PSA the younger generation is targeted and commanded to avoid voting, "Dear young people, don't vote." Following this, the elderly characters portrayed on screen tell the viewers that everything is alright; for them.

They remind the viewers that the current president Donald Trump, who attracts much controversy, is all their doing, and they love it, "Trump, that was us. He's our guy." The characters on screen begin to mention sensitive points of concern around America and continue to brush it off as if it does not matter, "Sure, school shootings are sad, but I haven't been in a school for fifty years."

The PSA proceeds to drive the point home and challenges the younger generation to take a step forward and help vote. The characters on screen acknowledge that we young people do not like it, but they claim that the young people won't do anything to change it, "You might even share this video on Facebook. But you won't vote." Following this, the PSA once again reminds the viewers that those people vote, and they are the cause of the current president, "Every single Election. We'll be there, but you won't. Because we're a generation of doers. Not whiners. And we're doing great."

Knock the Vote's logo displayed at the end of the PSA along with their official website.

The PSA was very interesting and cleverly made, although on the outside the PSA told the viewers not to vote, the message to participate really shone through. The PSA found a way to push the younger generation to vote in a way that does not sit well with and challenges the younger generation. Using those driving emotions, Knock the Cote is attempting to influence the younger generation to vote.

When I first watched the Knock the Vote's PSA, the message was conveyed to me that every vote matters. The PSA annoyed me and made me feel uneasy, but through those emotions I suddenly had an urge to vote, even though I do not live in the States. All of the topics that that the PSA had brought up were serious problems, but the PSA really pushed the fact that the current president is not doing anything to solve the issue. Through the PSA the younger generation was told that they can make a difference, with their vote all of those things may change.

The PSA stressed the fact that the reason that Donald Trump is the current president is because there were people that got up and voted for him. The younger generation love to hate on and bash Donald Trump's work, but it does not matter because they did not vote for themselves. The PSA teaches us that the people who do vote, do it because it benefits them, in ways better or worse for others. If the younger generation dislike president Trump's work than they have to go vote and make a change.

I believe that this PSA will work and persuade the younger generation to get up and vote. It expressed the fact that it does not matter if we sit at home and complain about the president, when we could have changed the outcome of the elections if we just voted. The PSA influenced the viewers using a unique way, they challenged the younger generation vote with an unpleasant feeling, the feeling of injustice.