As thousands of civilians fled to Ukraine’s metro stations — turned bomb shelters — to take cover after Russia launched a full-scale invasion, teenagers across America considered the possibility of another world war and a draft.
On TikTok, Instagram and at East, many have claimed World War III is near.
In reality, American teens have very little reason to worry about a war physically involving them at all, as no threat of violence has come towards the U.S.. But, right now, President Joe Biden has denied plans to send any American troops to Ukraine to fight at all, because Ukraine isn’t a member of NATO, despite President Volodymr Zelenskyy’s repeated inquiries of joining.
But because the unlikely chance of a “draft for World War III” was advertised in such an exaggerated manner and blasted across “news platforms,” — TikTok or Instagram — it became easy to believe — especially for impressionable teens.
News travels fast. And while social media algorithms sift through some unreliable information, they don’t always prioritize the credibility of a source. Creators on TikTok can be more interested in going viral than spreading true information. What better way to gain views than to threaten World War III? Despite the appeal to believe fake news spread through viral TikToks, our generation needs to understand the real risks of war.
A draft is defined as a mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces. Contrary to other news circulating on social media, the draft would only pull from a pool of American men between the ages of 18 to 25, according to the Selective Service System. No women will be drafted — Congress debated talks of requiring women to register, but dropped the provision in December 2021.
However, the U.S. hasn’t needed a draft in over 45 years — the military has consisted of only volunteers since 1973. So, even if there was a draft, most high schoolers wouldn’t be a part of the pool due to age or gender.
Teens need to verify information found on social media using trusted sources before prematurely suiting up to go to war.
Hunting for credible information can start with asking teachers. Pay attention to your social studies teacher’s comments about Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.’s involvement even if it’s not on your next chapter test. It might clarify the real problem we face — not if we’re going to war, but rather what we can do to help.
Paying attention to news playing on the TV can also help us learn, even if it’s in the background of math homework and family dinner. And, though it’s counterintuitive, don’t discredit a source due to its bias. Though a news station may only show one side of the war, it’s likely still factual information. Just make sure to switch the channel to the opposing side after, there’s no harm in broadening your perspective by hearing varying opinions.
As young Americans who can’t currently physically help with the situations in Ukraine, our job is to learn the real facts about the war by following credible news sources.
Other ways to help from afar include donating money to organizations like Rescue and Unicef USA, spreading awareness via social media or sharing what you learned about the conflict with friends and family.
Above all, staying informed is the most we can do to help the violence unfolding between Russia and Ukraine. Reading an article, listening when the news is on at a restaurant or even just a simple Google search to get the latest update may feel small, but it’s something.