A rather intriguing commercial came on while I was watching my third or fourth consecutive “how to do college” YouTube video Monday night.

It was a political campaign ad that showed children watching a T.V. commercial where Donald Trump was cursing and saying rude things. The commercial was essentially saying that Trump wasn’t the most positive influence on the younger generations in our society, and to remember that when going out to vote.

But you can also say things to the other side of the election. Hillary Clinton was also caught up in scandals, and the argument could be made that she isn’t the most positive influence on younger generations either.

This has been one of the most hostile elections we have ever seen, and the media played a large role in portraying both candidates in an unfavorable light. Countless stories documenting the negative sides of both Trump and Clinton were all over popular news channels and news sites and even plastered across social media.

The election coverage was so widespread that even young children are aware of Trump’s audio tape that was released, as well as Clinton’s email controversy. This election season undoubtedly set a poor example for the next generation of voters. So moving on to the next election, we must prepare our children for what to expect of an election, and of a potential president.

While everyone should be free to support any part of the political spectrum, we should consider how we want our children to perceive what kind of person a “president” should be. We can’t escape the internet or the media, so we shouldn’t simply cover a kid’s eyes every time they access those mediums. But what we can do is teach children what kind of characteristics a suitable president should have.

Now these attributes can be anything from being a strong speaker, to staying true to his or her beliefs even in times of adversity. After seeing an election like this, the younger generation may have missed out on witnessing a president with such values.

A part of us might think, “Man … it can only go up from here right?” but there is always that “what if?” So in order to be prepared for the latter, future voters must be educated about the election, politics and what to expect from the president of our nation.

Saketh is a freshman in DGS.

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