by Lindsay Hoffman, Huffington Post
Students in my spring semester Politics and Media class at the University of Delaware wrote blogs on current issues, relating them to class content. I’ve been posting some of their work as part of the “Blog Blog Project.” This entry, written by UD student Cori Schreider, asks whether MTV’s online election game can engage young people in this year’s election. MTV is attempting to change this. Yes, MTV — also known as the channel that brings us our favorite educational programs like The Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Nevertheless, they are taking it upon themselves to “get the vote out” with an online game. A play off of fantasy sports, the game will be a “Fantasy Election,” where players will draft a team of candidates either running for the presidency or for Congress, and will play against other gamers across the country. They earn points for registering to vote, or checking in at town halls or voting stations via Foursquare. It’s assumed that MTV hopes putting hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes on the line will increase enthusiasm and participation. While this innovative idea could be successful in increasing both participation and voter efficacy, others are not so sure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lindsay-hoffman/youth-vote-_b_1579438.html
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