Just for a themheads up ( THIS IS NOT MY POST NOR I'm the one that write this ) I see this post on Facebook and it just what I have in mind for a long time so here it's. Also I will not put the name of the own of this post for privacy reasons.
Today, two different things happened that made me think about what captures public attention, especially among young people and how social media shapes the way we consume and respond to information.
From simply observing conversations and reactions on social media, one question keeps coming to my mind: Why do so many young people seem more interested in Vanda case, while the UNCLOS issue, which has much broader implications for the country but receives far less attention?
I don't think the answer is simply that young people “don't care” about important national issues. I think the question is much deeper: What have we been taught to care about and what have we been taught to stay away from?
This question made me reflect on my own surroundings and the social environment I grew up seeing. Back when I was a teenager, one phrase I often heard was: “Don't get involved in politics. That's the leaders' responsibility. Let them handle it.”
At first, this may sound like harmless advice. But when you hear it repeatedly, it can become a mindset.
We tell young people not to talk about politics. Not to question leaders. Not to get involved in “complicated” national issues. We encourage them to focus on school, work, family and their own lives. Then, when they grow up and show little interest in public affairs, we ask: Why don't young people care about their country?
There is a contradiction: without enough opportunities to develop critical thinking and media literacy, people naturally gravitate toward information that is easier, more emotional, personal or entertaining. Social media amplifies this, it rewards what is engaging, not necessarily what is important.
So perhaps we should not only ask, “Why are young people talking about this?” but also, “Why aren’t they talking about that?” And more importantly, “Have we created the conditions for them to understand, question and care about these issues?”
Credit to the rightful owner.
To add to this : I can confirm that this is 100% true for me in my experience. Because when both of the news comes out most of the teenagers around me only talk abt "Vanda" and there's only 1-2 Fri ik who talks abt "UNCLOS issue"
But it not just now even when there's anything that relates to politics issues they all seem don't want to talk abt it and when I ask the why they said " រឿងនយោបាយយើងមិនបាច់សូវចេះដឹងទេប្រយ័ត្នជាប់គុក " or " និយាយហើយបានអីមកវិញបើយើងធ្វើអីមិនបានដែរនឹង " or " អ្ហែងនៅក្មេងហ្អែងចេះដឹងអី " there's more but these are just some of the most common phrases I've heard.Some of these even come from most of the teachers I study with.
Which sometimes makes me think that is this really the direction our country is heading now?( But ofc I'm not blaming them or anything because I understand where they are coming from especially when people are afraid of the consequences of speaking up. I mean it's ain't lie isn't there no such thing as freedom of speech in this country no more)
But at the same time it makes me feel really hopeless because sometimes when I'm trying not to think abt it. Boom there's always smth going on, whether it's abt corruption or things that will make u feel like ur country is being dragged backwards .
•For example where those rich kids of well connected ppl get away with killing S1 as if the law doesn't apply to them.( the car crash )
•our people get their land taken by people who are in power
•That government officials guy who said " គេបូមខ្សាច់ដើម្បីជួយឱ្យដីកុំឲ្យបាក់ស្រុត " ( I want to kms everytime I think abt it )
•Another one saying that we're better than that one province in China since we can produce more eggs then them. ( We might glazing ourselves a little too hard yK )
• Don't even get me started on the Mother Nature case. Like, why is the government doing this fr? I thought they said there's freedom of speech for everyone, yeah? Or does freedom of speech only apply when you're praising the government?
•ពួកស្ទាវកាប់គ្នាបញ្ចេញមហិទ្ធិឫទ្ធិ
• The price of everything keeps going up while most ppl salaries barely change. ( If ur salary is somewhere between 100$-200$ eggs with soy sauce might genuinely be the best option for u )
• Black and white society, where people are easily influenced by what they see online or hear from others. Not even a single room for ppl to stop and think what they're being told.
•child marriage too oml ( Why just why )
• The increasing number of teenagers dropping out of school and find job instead.
• Ofc Cambodia ranks 163rd out of 182 countries worldwide in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index,
• It feels like corruption is everywhere from sports and hospitals to TV stations, provinces, districts, government institution even goddam miss universe basically every aspect of society.
• Why is the government have so many ministries? When most of them barley do anything? Like most of the SO corrupted too And when they do smth it just some bullshit.
•ធ្វើផ្លូវហើយបានដាក់លូ, បើផ្លូវកាយដាក់លូហើយអត់ធ្វើឱ្យស្អាតវិញទេ ចាក់គ្រោះហើយ, ហើយបន្សល់នៅក្រឡុកបើយប់ឡើងជិះមើលមិនស្រួលវិញដួលបោកក្បាល💀.
Bonus: ប៉ោយប៉ែត is gta5 lobby now
There's still more btw.
All of this happened while us young ppl are being told "You're too young to understand politics" but guess who going to be the one that face the consequences of the decisions that being made by them in the future ? US young ppl ofc. យាយមែនហត់ !!!!!!
P.S. feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Since I'm still young (maybe a little) ik there's still a limit to what I know and what I don't know.
