Author: Isha
Let me start with some startling statistics about youth and voting:
- 47% of youth (aged 15-19) likely to vote in the next federal election was substantially lower than the 84% of senior people (aged 65-74)
- Similarly about 75% of seniors are interested in politics compared to the half of the younger generation (aged 15-24)
How do you feel about these statistics? They show that youth today are less interested in voting than other age groups. Let’s talk about the causes and implications of this problem.
Politics may seem boring and irrelevant as you may feel “too young” or uninformed about this topic. However, a part of being a responsible citizen is to be aware of the society we live in and try to be active. One way of achieving this, is to keep up with politics and government activities! The government constructs and runs important aspects of our daily lives. You and your peers (the youth) represent the needs and opinions that must be considered in order to create stability and growth within our society.
People older than you (ex: your parents, grandparents, teachers) may assert that you are incompetent or inexperienced to make opinions about politics. So, a lot of you may feel unheard and unrepresented.
One of the most important political rights you can exercise as a citizen is to vote.
Although you are not yet an adult, it’s a good idea to start keeping up with different political platforms and understand this process. The easiest way to start is to watch the news and political debates. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to form an opinion, it rather means that you can merely learn about politics and its processes. In the future, this will help you create your own political opinions.
Politics is an important part of how our world works and it needs your input so that you can assure that your point of view is considered. If all members of society are engaged in political activities, especially voting, the government will operate in society’s favour by responding to the needs you express. I encourage you to bring an end to political and young voters’ apathy by being an informed citizen!
