If you’re anything like me, listening to adults talk about politics can be frustrating. Conversations might start with the economy or social issues, but before you know it everyone is yelling and no one seems to be listening.

With this being the current political climate, it can be easy to turn a blind eye; but that’s the last thing we should do.

Politics isn’t just a topic for people to argue about; it shapes the world we will live in, and will for the rest of our lives. The decisions being made on everything from climate change to AI regulations are shaping our future and the problems we will face as adults.

Beyond our future, having a general understanding of politics defends us against misinformation, especially in this new age of social media where everyone has a platform but not everyone has the facts.

As a teen who is only a couple of years away from stepping into a voting booth for the first time, I set out on a mission to form my own political opinions and learn as much as I can.

To say it’s been difficult is an understatement.

Finding nonpartisan news is almost as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. News sources like Fox or CNN feel like they are trying to convince me to think the way they do, instead of letting me form my own opinions.

Instead of letting the partisan noise overwhelm the conversation, I decided to tackle the issue head on.

Join me in my journey to find the facts and explore the issues that matter. We’ll look at history, current events and the real-world impact of politics, so when it’s our turn to cast our vote we can be confident in our decisions because they will be educated and informed ones.

This column isn’t about telling you what to think; it’s about giving us the tools to think for ourselves.