The Millennial generation has fed the rise of social media activism. We helped produce viral hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #YesAllWomen, and #BringBackOurGirls. We were part of the 26 million Facebook users that put rainbow filters over our profile pictures when the Supreme Court determined that #LoveWins by recognizing same sex marriages nationwide in 2015, and we contributed to the over 180,000 tweets using #RefugeesWelcome in response to the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. According to our Internet activity, young people care and we care a lot.
We also take our activism offline. We donate our money and we volunteer our time to causes that we care about. We value having a purpose and want to make a difference in the world. Young people energized the Bernie Sanders “revolution” and sparked his unexpected rise in the polls. We are the generation of Malala Yousafzai, who opened the doors of education to young women around the world, and Simone Manuel, who used her Olympic victories to discuss issues surrounding race in the United States. We are tackling monumental issues like mass incarceration, sexual assault, gentrification, and climate change.
There’s no convincing me that young people do not care. The way we turn out to vote, however, tells a different story.
The number of young people who vote has been declining for years, according to U.S. Census data. During the 2012 presidential election, only 38 percent of people 18-27 years old voted in contrast to 50.9 percent in 1964. Furthermore, during midterm elections, when the presidency is not at stake, our rates are even lower. On the other hand, 69.7 percent of Americans over 65 voted in the 2012 election, and that number has been increasing for years.
The paradox is clear. We know that young people care immensely, but we also know that most young people do not vote. We must remedy these two conflicting realities because, unfortunately, we are currently forfeiting one of our most powerful tools to create change — our electoral power.
Many of us are disenchanted with the current political climate in our country, which is understandable. We have been raised in an era of political gridlock and extreme partisan ideology. We have lost hope that Washington can change or produce change. However, not voting is not the answer. Regardless of whether or not we vote, legislators will continue to get elected and pass (or not pass) legislation that affects our lives. Therefore, apathy is not the answer. Rather, as a generation that cares a lot, we need to harness our electoral power to shake things up. To change the system, we must get involved and demand that it works harder to serve us.
We must give legislators an incentive to listen to us. All we have is the collective power of our votes. We do not have a lobbying group for young people, we do not have our own AARP. Yet, if we vote, our representatives are far more likely to respond to our concerns. Let’s just imagine for a moment that 70 percent of young people vote in the 2016 election. That would be an increase of over 30 percent from 2012. Do you think that would get our elected officials to care about the issues that matter to us? Do you think that would get their attention?
We have to work hard this election season to help our peers see the clear connection between voting and social change. We must find a way to remind our fellow Millennials that we have the ability to create change through the ballot box. The issues that we fight for every day—tuition affordability, student loan debt, social equity—are influenced by our elected officials.
Notice that I have no made mention of who you should vote for this election season. Frankly, for the sake of this argument, that is not important. Rather, this is about showing our elected officials that young people are turning out to the polls, regardless of political affiliation, to have a say in the future of our country. This is about reminding the world that we are informed, empowered, and voting.
We are the largest, most diverse, and most educated generation in the history of our country. My fellow young people, may we never forget that our power is tied to our participation. Together, our voices hold weight.
