Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been trying to spread her appeal to the younger generation.

As the primary election approaches, Clinton must prove herself to the nation. Although CBS News reports that she is currently leading in the polls by 46 percent, Clinton will have a struggle to maintain this lead if Vice President Joe Biden decides to enter the race.

With this in mind, Clinton has tried to show millennials how “hip” she is. Is this a good approach for Clinton? Some may say yes.

But, as a millennial myself, I see Clinton’s efforts as forced and fake. I understand this is an election and that she would probably do anything in her power to win the race, but the way it is being approached turns me away from her and closer to candidate Bernie Sanders.

One of the first major takes on the millennials emerged in late July on video messaging application Snapchat. Clinton was shown in a seven second clip where she says, “Just chilling in Cedar Rapids.”

Snapchat had been covering the 2016 presidential race in one of its featured stories at the time.

Many people across the nation recorded the clip from Snapchat and uploaded it to video-sharing platform Vine. From then on, the clip became viral and even became a target for some memes.

Before you hear Clinton’s voice, there is a koozie shown that reads “More like Chillary Clinton AMIRITE?”

Then you hear two taps, indicating the switch from the back camera to the front camera, which allows you to see Clinton’s face as she gives the line. The double tapping noise is something my grandmother does quite frequently. I do not want to be thinking that my grandmother could possibly be running the country.

Whoever told Clinton this was a good idea was either drunk or wanted to sabotage the campaign. This did not appeal to millennials: it just gave them something new to make fun of for the time being.

I understand Clinton wants to appeal to the same generation that put President Barack Obama in office, but I feel like it is more focused on her becoming a social media sensation rather than her trying to appeal politically to the millennials. Talk about student loans. Tell us what you want to do with higher education. Where is our future?

It is almost as if Clinton is screaming “LOOK AT ME! I am just like you young folk!” Do not show me that, show me what you will do for me. Tell me where you see our nation in the following years.

In September, Clinton made an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, where she was shown relaxed and carefree. You can watch the interview in its entirety on NBC’s website. She also made a guest appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” where she poked fun of herself. I think late-night television is a better platform than using Snapchat or Vine and that is where candidates can show their true selves without seeming too eager.

Candidates do need show their true selves to the voters, but what matters more to me, and should matter more to all those considering to vote, is the candidate’s take on important issues.

Many other candidates also are taking this viral route, and we need to be careful about how we perceive that. Yes, it makes them appear more human and is entertaining to us, but do we want a good laugh or a well-run country?

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