It’s an issue that is known all across the country. Young people and students are worried about the impact that speaking their political views will have on their life. While the General Election of 2017 showed the biggest upward trend in young people’s voting — also termed ‘The Youthquake’ — it still wasn’t enough to encourage everyone to speak their minds. Of course, the change was phenomenal, but more still needs to be done when there are still people refusing to voice their opinion.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at a few reasons why this is the case. So keep reading to find out more.
Forever Being Told They Don’t Understand
The first issue is that young people are always being told that they don’t understand what is going on in the political world. They are told that they won’t understand until they are older, that there is no way they could possibly know anything about the changing political landscape because they are somehow incapable of keeping up in the same way that adults are. Instead of encouragement to speak out and discuss their ideas, students are being shut down all across the country.
It’s true that not all students, and not all young people fully understand politics, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t. It’s an important topic and one that everyone should discuss, and feel comfortable enough to discuss. The schools need to encourage talking, and so does the government.
Fear Of The Impact On The Future
A huge issue for students is that they are worried about how talking about politics is going to impact the future that they are planning for themselves. Sadly, we have found ourselves in the position where younger people are censoring themselves because they are worried they won’t be able to go into their chosen profession if they voice their views. This is especially a problem with social media because what’s on the internet is there forever. If a student is applying for a job somewhere down the line, and the potential employer goes through their social media and staunchly disagrees with their political views, it can harm their chances of being hired.
This is the same as when certain employers, in what they deem to be ‘respectable jobs’, see someone smoking a disposable vape at a party. Such a small thing can also influence their decision.
Students in the UK should not have to fear discrimination based on political views, and yet that is what is happening. It’s hard to be open and honest about how you feel when the adults in your life are not listening and belittling your views.
A Stigma Attached To Young People
There is a stigma attached to young people that they just want everything handed to them. We’re not entirely sure where this attitude has come from, especially when this current generation is extremely hard-working. The world is not an easy place to live in right now, and yet there are still students getting through the day, doing the things they need to in order to build a future for themselves. However, seeing as there is a trend of younger people voting more towards the left, the stigma exists nonetheless.
Students are now afraid to talk openly about voting for the things that would help them and others in life. It’s not true that this generation consists of scroungers, but it is the predominant view that a lot of older adults have due to the voting trends amongst young people. This has led to a forced ‘what’s the point?’ attitude, as they feel that nobody is listening. Still, students are fighting hard to get rid of this stigma. Only time will tell how successful they will be.
We hope that you have found this article helpful and now see some of the reasons why students in the UK are reluctant to talk about political matters. The main problem stems from a lack of support that they receive every time they do try to speak out against something, and that is what needs to change as soon as possible. But change is coming, and one day students and young people will no longer worry about voicing their political opinions the way that they do now.
