For young people, a ‘moral’ choice?
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By Helen Haste, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath
The media are predicting a ‘youthquake’ in the coming election. This may be hyperbole (or hope) but there are signs that young people are taking it seriously. The largest proportion of recent registrations to vote have come from young people – though one in three have still not registered. What does this mean?
Youth participation in national elections fluctuates but always seems to make news - whether because of ‘apathy’ or the opposite. The Obama election in 2008 was seen as a beacon of positive youth commitment – and a triumph for social media use – but other elections in the world did not always match up. Do people worry that a whole generation will never vote, or do we assume that they will grow into their civic duty in due course? Is lack of electoral interest in young people an indictment of youth’s irresponsibility, or of the system that fails to inspire the public in general?
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