Time 2 Talk:

Youth Political Engagement. Is Social Media Our New Voice?

Questions about why young people are becoming less engaged with politics has grown increasingly prevalent. Is the fall in engagement a result of youths finding politics boring or is it their lack of knowledge and understanding of politics (White et al., 2000)? The education system has a big part in this discussion and has possibly failed us youths with inadequate knowledge. Is this the rationale behind young people using social media to fill in their knowledge gaps and take things into their own hands?

Let’s talk STATS.

Figure 1 above illustrates that compared to age groups 45 and older, youths aged 18 to 24 have a significantly reduced turnout rate. Even though the data shows some minor adjustments, such as a rise in voters between the ages of 18 and 24 between the 2015 and 2019 elections, there is still a higher disproportionality when compared to the older age groups (The British Election Study, 2021). Younger people are less likely to vote or participate in politics than older people, but why is this the case?

…Citizenship Education. Ever heard of the term? Well, in order to establish and instil desired national norms of citizens, citizenship education was established to be a component of the national education system and national curriculum (Green, 1997). The low levels of youth political involvement were frequently addressed using this as a policy lever. However, a number of issues emerged as citizenship joined the curriculum. For instance, there were four main issues: the first was problems with the definition and delivery, the second was that the subject lacked experts, the third was that the subject meaning was unclear, and the fourth was that it was removed from the curriculum for those who were post-16 (Weinberg, 2016). Youths were thus left with little understanding of the subject and little chance to be interested in politics because citizenship was not prioritised in the classroom and was not taught by specialised teachers who were enthusiastic about the subject. Schools with a high percentage of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often have limited time for extracurricular political activities and topics like citizenship education, which emphasises inadequate knowledge (Hoskins and Janmaat, 2019). Therefore, this is one of the reasons why there is such a low level of youth political engagement in statistics.

This is where social media steps in.

From my own experiences, I think social media has created a whole new platform for young people to engage in political discussion, articulate themselves, and gain political knowledge. As shown in the graphic above, young people use social media platforms to share when they have voted, which inspires others to do the same and take part in the activities. I have definitely done the same on my social media platforms. Youths in our society today are using social media to redefine political engagement by finding new ways through which to voice their political preferences outside of the bounds of traditional political engagement, such as voting or joining a political party (Keating and Melis, 2017). Youths can start campaigns, sign political petitions, and spread educational content by using social media. Social media had a significant impact on protests like the Black Lives Matter movement and the climate change movement, which made political views and active protests possible.

Another part of media which has become highly influential when discussing and engaging in politics is UK rap/grime artists. The relationship between grime and politics is growing and evolving and this has led for the term ‘generation grime’ to be used explaining the opportunity to engage with a political figure whose values align closely to their lived experiences (Charles, 2017). Grime performers like JME, Akala, Stormzy, and Dave have utilised social media platforms to express their views and urge people to vote for labour. Due to grime’s huge popularity in the current generation, it has the power to persuade young people to participate in politics and express their views. Hashtags such as #grime4corbyn were created by grime artists and tweets explaining how important it is to stay involved after the election were posted on social media targeting the youths (Charles, 2017).

Below is a song by Grime musician Dave called “Question Time,” which breaks down politics by addressing Theresa May, David Cameron, and Jeremy Corbyn – the Labour Party.

You can tell how politically engaged Dave is just by giving the lyrics a careful listen. As a big fan and someone who enjoys his music, I find it admirable that someone who experienced a variety of inequalities is so politically active and encourages young people to do the same (Perera, 2018). If you are interested about what musicians have put out on social media to encourage political involvement, click the links below:

• It’s not just this election – grime music has always been political
• #Grime4Corbyn: grime artists explain why they backed Labour
• Why British MCs are uniting behind the Labour leader

Education System vs Social Media

Social media has given young people a new platform to participate in politics and express their opinions, something I believe the education system has failed to do. Lack of political education, involvement, and information in schools has pushed young people to take matters into their own hands and use social media. Youths who experience class, race, and age inequality connect with grime musicians and those who express their opinions on social media, which increases the likelihood that they will confine their political views to the internet rather than in formal education.

What are the solutions?

The next stage should be to improve the education system, giving young people a platform to express their political opinions and deepen their knowledge of politics. Including debates, student councils, and mock elections in the curriculum, as well as hiring specialised teachers, could all encourage young people to become publicly active.

 

Are we using social media as our new political voice?

Your opinions are welcome.

 

 

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