Op-Ed: The neglect of younger voters is a lost opportunity for political parties
The recent controversy over the political party’s treatment of younger voters is a lost opportunity
There is a perception that politics is becoming increasingly irrelevant, with the rise of new, younger voters. The ‘demographics’ and ‘technology’ of the online world have led to a rise in ‘social media’ and political campaigning largely being based on ‘the old ways’ of campaigning. Yet, there is a perception that this trend will continue and younger voters will dominate the political process and the wider landscape within five to ten years. This perception is being stoked by a number of factors and has been echoed time and time again by political commentators, media commentators and the younger generation themselves.
It seems the more people think of politics in terms of electoral victories, the less interest they generally have in the process and the ways that politics is governed. What we’re seeing now is a political process where the ‘big battalions’ of the state are increasingly viewed as unnecessary. Political parties are losing out on younger voters with the rise of ‘the big battalions’, with older generations being increasingly viewed as part of the problem. The problem is that the ‘big battalions’, and indeed social media, have completely disrupted the ways that politics is conducted in the ‘old ways’. The problem is that it is only the elderly voters who have not been disrupted yet, while many younger voters are no longer being recruited to the political process. It is a lost opportunity for the political parties involved.
There are significant challenges ahead for this political cycle
With an ageing population, a fall in labour force participation and the decline in voting rates, it is a lost opportunity for the political parties to gain new younger voters, and many older voters are becoming disillusioned with parties in general. Many are looking to newer alternatives and are seeking to find new opportunities outside the political realm. More and more people are looking to the internet for this as it offers ‘the real world’, with no boundaries, and the opportunity to interact with other people from all walks
