The Importance of the Youth Vote
In politics today, young people are
becoming more involved. The youth vote is gaining greater importance in
elections and can be vital to a candidate's standing in the polls. Young people
are online actively participating and monitoring political activity through
social media like Twitter and Facebook. They respond greatly to a
candidate’s presence in social media and are able to get a better sense of
their stances on issues. The most
important way that candidate’s are able to connect to the youth are by being
relevant to the issues they face, like college tuition and employment.
The reelection of President Obama
was partly made possible by the youth voters. The amount of young voters is on the rise and was considered
by many to be a big factor in the election outcome. According to the Huffington Post, Obama received 61-66
percent of the millennial vote in the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Florida, and Virginia. As for
Romney, he lost the youth vote fairly significantly. These results show how well the candidates connected, or
tried to connect, to the younger generation.
I think the major downfall of
Romney’s was that he failed to see the significance of the youth vote. He was not as focused towards relevant
issues such as student loans and instead focused more on his economic
policies. Romney was not present
on college campuses or popular media like President Obama. Those are places where young people are
more apt to listen and feel connected.
Many young people have preconceived notions of what the republican party
represents and I believe that if Romney had put more effort into appealing to
younger voters, the election outcome may have been different, or at least
closer. Furthermore, the
Republican Party should take this election as a chance to reexamine
themselves. They need to be more
relevant to the younger generation and see what issues they really care about
and the general shift about society and politics in our modern world.
The vote of young people today is
more important now than ever. I
think of political clubs on campuses and programs like Rock the Vote and I see
how much encouragement is out there for young people to go and vote. With this increased activity,
candidates should find ways in which to further their connection with the
youth. Political blogs and Twitter
activity are great ways to keep the attention of tech-savvy youth. Social media is a great way to keep
people updated and informed in a readily accessible and efficient way. Being physically present is also
important. I think college
campuses are great environments to get young people thinking and involved in
politics. When the resources are
right there in front of them it is easier to take action. I think this election is a learning tool
for candidates in the future that the youth votes matters tremendously. The youth vote is projected to only
grow larger and politics and politicians should be ready to adapt and re-adapt
to meet the needs and concerns of millennial voters.
posted by Catherine Cislo | 10:54 PM
11 Comments:
I think young voters played a huge part in the recent election and will continue to play a large part in future elections. I really think this is mainly due to social media. I see a huge problem with this because media is at everyone's finger tips in seconds and they have no idea if they are reading something that is true or false unless they take the time to research it. People are so gullible. I somewhat dislike the place media and social networking has taken in politics.
I completely agree with this post and with Chrissy. So many young voters are uneducated on politics and it seems that many of them vote for whoever is most "popular" among their age group. They are so strongly influenced by each other and the media. However, Obama definitely did seem to be more attractive to the younger voters. He only helped himself by visiting colleges and speaking to other youth. I think this strategy of his and his "celebrity" status greatly benefited him in this election.
Candidates, of any party, certainly need to remember the importance of the youth vote, as has been reflected in the last couple of elections. Though people of all ages use social media, its strongest base is among younger people. Though candidates may not be particularly willing to engage in social media, having an online presence is becoming a huge factor in terms of how we get political information. I think this is something that is a change that cannot be reversed-much like how political candidates of the past did not want to be in public TV or air ads. The youth vote is very powerful, and it’s important for all candidates to better try to connect with them, not only online but also by more openly discussing issues that affect younger generations.
I think our generation often gets the stereotype of being inactive, lazy, and sometimes takes things for granted. I am proud to see the youth vote play such an important role in such major elections, both in 2008 and 2012. It is important to show how elections must grow and adapt to the changing technology, just as we grow and adapt. When politicians utilize popular forms of communication with the youth vote, like social media, it can only strengthen our involvement in the political process.
Whoever termed it the "youth vote?" I'm pretty sure you have to be eighteen to vote. It's exciting that so much attention and political targeting is given to our Millenial generation. However, it's frightening how many of our cohorts decide on a candidate by few policies or stances on controversial issues. A more informed decision has to be made taking into account the bigger picture and the fiscal ills our country is facing. Social reforms mean nothing when we live in a country with a sick and, at times, corrupt economic system.
If the young people are uneducated in politics why not educate them. If they are going to watch shows such as SNL make the information the truth. If they will listen to someone like Obama speak, then isn't it is his responsibility to make sure they understand. The youth vote is so important, but the educated youth vote is much more valued.
I'm sure youth are influenced by celebrities and what's going on in social media, but I do not think we should brush off all youth as being uneducated or gullible. Being at SMC during the election season, I thought it was pretty exciting to see people actually watch the news and listen to what was going on in the campaigns and in the debates. I think youth are more informed than they are credited, and the Republic Party definitely has to appeal more to the younger voters.
Great post, Catherine! It is great to see how us, young people can decide serious things! It is an advantage of the process of growing up!
In addition, I would like to say that young people are always and will be forever the future of politics. Older people are harder to change their habbits and beliefs. If a party wants to grow, to expand the electoral turnout, recruit staff for campaigns, it is fundamental to invest in youth audience.
Be acessible and present physically and virtually are extremely important future steps for the parties, specially for Republicans.
I think it is important now more than to get the young voter involved. There are so many issues that will effect us directly. If we are unaware or don't take action we have no one to blame but ourselves when life isn't have we want it. It is important to educate ourselves, even if its just a little. Sure we can all vote but do we always know what we are voting for? It shouldn't be about who the popular candidate is, or if your favorite celebrity is voting for them, but about what candidate matches your views and will work for you.
I agree with Chrissy, a large part of the reason that youth are interested in elections today is because of social media and technology. They have access to information to information from everywhere and its an easy way for them to comment. I did some research for my final paper on technology and saw that primarily the way to reach the youth is through different forms of social media because that's what they spend their time. We have seen this in previous elections where social media has played a key role in the election.
I really liked how you said, "I believe that if Romney had put more effort into appealing to younger voters, the election outcome may have been different, or at least closer." I concur because Obama did make more of an appearance during his campaign that Romney. I think you said it right when you also mentioned that Republicans need to reexamine their strategy and outreach. The youth play a huge part in elections perhaps due to the fact that social media plays a significant part in reaching and connecting young adults into the elections.
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