A 16-year-old South Florida high school student is using social media to teach her peers about politics, even though she cannot vote yet. Uma Hedge, a student who appears in a 7News report by Heather Walker, started an initiative called Before the Ballot earlier this year.
Hedge said she noticed many of her friends and other teens either did not care about current events or did not understand them. She said she began to wonder how peers who were not raised around politics felt when they watched debates and interviews. Her goal is to help teens become informed voters by the time they turn 18.
Each week, she posts discussion videos on local and global current events to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. She also interviews candidates running for office in Florida and across the country, regardless of party. Hedge said she has found common ground with every guest she has spoken with.
The account has gained thousands of followers in a few months. Hedge said friends now tell her she is their main source of news.
Hedge cannot vote in the upcoming midterm election, but she will be eligible for the next presidential race. She said she hopes her videos will encourage at least one viewer to register and take part in civic life.
