The Alarming Lack of Young People Interested in Politics

Politics. That term has almost become a dirty word nowadays, or at least it is a definite conversation stopper. No one wants to talk politics. No one wants to watch politics. No one wants to listen to politics. More specifically, no one under the age of 37 wants anything to do with politics. That brings us to our next "dirty word": millennials. That term has not only become an increasingly derogatory term but also a term for the modern scapegoats of America. A lot of fault gets laid at the doorstep of the millennials by the older generations. Millennials who are now old enough to have leadership positions in the workforce and children of their own yet young enough to still be considered inexperienced are talked about with sarcastic, disapproving tones and shakes of the head. However, this author would like to offer up a different point of view on both politics and millennials.

This author is considered a millennial; in fact, this author falls almost dead center in the millennial age-range. The generation referred to as millennials is officially defined as those who were born between the years 1987 and 1996, but what if millennials are not everything they have been made out to be? What if this author were to say that there were countless millennials who see what is going on in America, see the political turmoil and want to do something about it? What if the nation is not going down the drain but rather is waiting for millennials to step up and take action to keep it moving into a bright and hopeful future?

2016. America's political scene sent shock waves around the world. No matter which side of the political aisle someone is on, odds are that the years from 2016 to 2020 made a significant impact. It seemed that there was no place one could go without hearing about Washington and what was happening on the Hill. The simple fact is that politics in America experienced a significant shift. Ways of communicating information from the Hill shifted. Party loyalties shifted. Political focuses shifted. It seemed everyone was in one uproar after another. After 2020, people thought they could take a rest from politics. This is simply not so for the simple reason that one cannot take a rest from participating in democracy if one wants it to continue working.

2023. America is beginning to enter into the full swing of Presidential campaigns once again. However, what has been heard about the current Presidential campaign? Practically nothing unless one is glued to a news outlet of some sort. Let's face it: most millennials are not. Why? It is not because they are not interested. Not really. One reason is they have been inundated with nothing but negative reports and dismal predictions. In short, they have allowed themselves to be convinced that America is going to the dogs, and there is nothing they can do to change it. Nothing will make a difference. Another reason might be that they believe nothing important is happening because they are busy trying to pay bills, take care of the kids, etc. and cannot "feel" the effects of the Hill’s decisions. A third and final reason could be that along with many other changes the millennials are witnessing, cable TV with multiple general news channels is practically a thing of the past. Most millennials utilize multiple streaming services in order to watch the specific TV shows, movies, etc. that they are interested in. General news does not make a big appearance if any at all. If one wants to hear the news, one has to go looking for it. Whatever the case may be, these reasons can create viewpoints that are dangerous to this nation's future. They create viewpoints of hopelessness and/or indifference which in turn lead to inaction. Inaction leads to stagnation. Stagnation leads to eventual ruin.

Back to the current Presidential campaign. In any election year, the focus of the Presidential race naturally goes to the challengers. This time that is the Republican party. The main events are the Presidential debates where candidates vying for the Republican nomination have a chance to talk about important issues and their positions. If asked about these debates, what would the millennials say? They would probably say that they have not even heard of the debates this year. There is a valid reason for that.

It would appear to the untrained eye that there have not been many debates to date when compared to past Presidential elections. Well, that untrained eye would be correct. When compared to the Presidential election of 2020, the Republicans today seem to be a bit behind in their number of debates. The challenging party in the 2020 election, the Democratic party, held five debates by this time in September 2019. 2024 elections see a grand total of two debates from the challenging party as of September 2023. So what is going on? Why is this different? Who are the Presidential candidates for the challenging party? Why does it seem like no one has heard from them?

These are precisely the kinds of questions millennials should be asking and looking into. As of the time of this article, there are twelve Republican candidates up for nomination, seven of which are serious contenders. However, millennials need to be reminded that if they want this country to keep moving forward in a positive way, they need to stay involved. In order to stay involved, they need to seek out information regarding candidates’ positions on important issues. Gone are the days when our parents and elders let us know what is happening in the world. Once more, we are going to have to practice those research skills we learned in school: find credible sources, consider biases, evaluate, and decide. Then it is time to take action.

Millennials, we still have some fight left in us! It is our turn to take the reins that are gradually being handed over to us. It may seem like the ways of our parents and grandparents do not always "work" in this ever-evolving world we are living in, but do not throw the baby out with the bath water. The principles they taught us are still very applicable; principles never expire. Begin by drowning out the negative voices calling millennials lazy and incompetent. Realize the fact that as all of us are aging, the older generation is stepping down, and we are the ones who are next to step up. Recall the inaction that was mentioned earlier? It is also important to keep in mind there will always be someone to step in and take over when no one else does. If we millennials want a bright future full of optimism and hope, we have to be the ones to step in, take action, and make it happen. Let us pull our focus away from what "the other guy" is doing and let us show the world that not only is politics not a bad thing when we simply believe in our country and act, but we millennials are not the terrible scapegoats we are made out to be. We can make a lasting, positive impact in our great nation if and when we decide to do so.