Opinion: Perspectives on Increased Youth Participation in Politics
Within the past year, the American youth have become increasingly active in national affairs. They participated in domestic politics through social media and organized rallies in reaction to this year’s US presidential election and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The youth this year have become concerned with having their voices heard, as well as promoting systemic change across the United States.
Since the beginning of 2020, the nation has been in a cautionary state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many students to attend school from home. From their increased time at home, students had more time to themselves and fewer distractions. Some utilized this time to become aware of the situations brewing across the nation. While most high schoolers cannot yet vote, they have been proactive in spreading information and ideas to those of voting age in order to influence their decisions. In “Poll: Young People Believe they Can Lead Change in Unprecedented Election Cycle” by Tisch College, it has been noted that nearly 79% of the young people nationally surveyed said that the pandemic helped realized how politics affects their lives and how important it is for their voice to be heard by the government.
A student at Del Norte observed how the lockdown has impacted the youth and their awareness that aspects of the nation need change.
“I think the pandemic opened everyone’s eyes to the importance of political awareness and, seeing as everyone has the time, I definitely noticed my peers cared a lot more about the news, especially with a new election this year and all of us significantly more mature than the last election, most of us were definitely more politically aware.” she said.
She continued by remarking that her opinion has a right to be heard as she is part of the next generation that will make important decisions for the country.
“I think my voice needs to be heard because, much like a huge portion of the American population that can’t vote, politics does affect my life and many others so those with the power to vote should do their part in representing us.” she said. “I also think it’s important for those of us who are not yet eligible to vote to be politically aware because this is really the only opportunity we have to understand our political opinions without deciding the fate of an important election.”
In an effort to reach as many people as possible, teenagers have found social media to be an effective place to express their concern for the future of America. During this year’s election, social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, were frequently used by high school age students to convince others to cast a vote for each candidate. The youth’s perspectives offered new ideas to consider as voters tried to make well-grounded decisions.
“I posted about the election a lot because I wanted others around me to be inspired to be involved, especially from the dynamics of this year it was clear to me that the election was extremely significant,” they said. “I knew my audience was mostly underage or ineligible, but I hoped that it would inspire them to initiate political conversation within their households and sub-communities.”
Teenagers became more self-aware in 2020 and grew partial to the idea that their voice matters. Concerned with how the nation was handling the pandemic, the youth developed opinions and beliefs on how policies should be conducted in America. More youth are becoming politically engaged at an earlier age than previous generations, developing diverse opinions and ideas, gaining confidence to express their voice in matters that concern the whole country.