I am arguing that political engagement has relocated from conventional politics to unconventional politics. For example on platforms such as: social media. I will be further exploring the issue of the education system and every day issue politics such as: tuition fees & Brexit.
In Britain, young people are often seen as the disaffected generation by the infamous media, disengaged with conventional politics (Fahmy 2009). Knowledge about politics increases the probability that individuals will vote or be engaged (Demos 2015). Work by Tanguay (2009) argues young people not voting is a symptom of problems embedded in the foundation of the democratic system. Political engagement is defined by Martin (2012) in voter turnout, political interest and trust, engagement with the electoral, non-electoral participation and political internet use. Concern has increasingly grown that young people are becoming more disengaged from the process of politics and from the democratic institutions (Ministry of Justice 2007). Political institutions no longer attract young people (Demos 2015), in 2015 as only 43% of young people in the UK voted in the General Election (IPOS 2015).
Young Britons are politically active online with issues on social media that directly or indirectly affect their everyday life (Demos 2015), compared to party politics, which was the order of the time 30 years ago (ibid). Representing a movement away from the conventional to the unconventional. A study conducted by Experian (2012) unveiled a million 18 year olds signed up to Facebook compared to 520,000 on the electoral vote (Mc Laughlin 2012). Design commission released a report arguing Facebook serves to dramatically diminish the barrier between the jargon of politics and the political parties. Literature by Byrne (2015) showed Facebook users massively increased from 26 million to 35 million by the start of the general election campaign. Elucidating the impact of social media with issues affecting young people.
Tuition fees and Brexit protests are prime instances of young peoples improved civically engagement compared to their predecessors. Displaying a willingness to challenge the government for their decisions (Mc Laughlin 2012). In previous times voting was imperative, but it appears the socialization process of voting is ending, previously political behaviours were inherited from parents. When these norms are eradicated regular voting can disintegrate (Martin 2012).
In addition, young people’s disengagement from politics can be constructed as a collective mind-set that the government does not care about their future. Drawing upon the infamous tuition fees rising to £9,000 a year by the Tory government. Manifesting not only a financial issue, but also a moral issue (Ali 2016). Jackson (2010), this escalation of tuition fees has forced UK university students to seek alternative places to study, such as: Berlin and Switzerland where living and studying costs are substantially cheaper. Contrastingly in the UK three years of university amount to £50,000. Young people have lost trust in the government. Dalton (2004), withdrawal of trust transforms into cynicism, and the indifference towards the government means non-participation. These two elements working alongside by the constitution cannot work. Disengagement is fatal. Some pessimist attitudes formed by youth become problematic when young people don’t vote, politicians are less likely to listen (Demos 2015). In 2015 more than 15,000 students from the UK studied abroad. (Jackson 2016). Divorcing from the EU will hinder young people’s freedom of movement Coslett (2016). Views of discontent, anger and bemusement were made vocal online alongside marches and campaigns showing their political engagement. The protests against the tuition fees shows young people care with a turnout of over 15,000 (Powell 2016), illustrating their involvement online and the real world.
The education system remains a stagnant issue in regards to the lack of political engagement. A lack of a compulsory politics GCSE authenticates the lack of knowledge to allow young people to be politically engaged. Mc Laughlin (2012) there is no option to study for a GCSE in politics, whilst A level politics is optional at colleges or sixth forms. Citizenship involves the understanding of party politics, introduced in 2002, now a compulsory part of school’s curriculums by the Labour Government, but a study conducted by Garner (2010) exposed teacher’s reluctance to discuss politics in fear of accusations of bias. This unwillingness damages knowledge of politics preventing facilitation to engagement in politics, indefinitely alienating young people from political processes.
In conclusion, young people are active online as compared to the physical. Young people are manufacturing their own critical calculations on engagement with politics (Martin 2012). Miller & Shanks (1996), there is not enough research to comprehend the political engagement of young people. The social world has become meshed with the real world, blurring boundaries and definitions of engagement (Demos 2015). The social media platform proves to negate the stereotyped view that young people are not politically engaged. Politics is not a waste of time, some of the greatest change has come from the very establishment we have a severe contempt towards. Young people deserve to have mandatory subjects to increase knowledge and we must realize although the voting has decreased, young people remain engaged none the less online where the power resides. We could make use of the power of social media to engage young people and politics, as it proves to be the biggest pulling tool for political engagement.
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