Barack Obama's campaign is often cited for its robust youth outreach program and the historic excitement he garnered from members of my generation. And, to an extent, this characterization is absolutely correct. Youth turnout was the third highest since 1971 when eighteen year olds were enfranchised, the youth was the only age demographic group to increase turnout since 2004, and an array of college students obsessed with the Obama "cool" factor turned out to vote (http://www.civicyouth.org/?p=339). After all, how many guys can boast a phone book full of millions of college-aged girls to text message at any moment of the day? And, while the President led one of the most revolutionary, noteworthy campaigns and youth operations history has ever seen, it is just not enough.
It (the current status of youth involvement in decision-making) is not enough when we have such a great stake in the decisions that come out of offices across the country, especially the oval ones. With a President that is mortgaging our future and a Republican Party that too often looks like it does not care about our future, the youth of this nation is often left out of the equation.
Both President Obama and the Republican Party (and even failing sectors like the auto industry), could learn a thing or two from my generation. Merely reaching out and using Twitter and Facebook is just not enough when these mediums (the most networked communication tools history has seen) are almost always used as one-way streets. Even though the wonderful twitterer Sen. McCaskill may respond once in a blue moon to the e-voices of young Americans, they almost always go unnoticed.
It is time for our leaders in Washington, in the private sector, and in the campaigning world to not only reach out to, but also offer a seat at the table to the youth. If we are to ever have a say in major decisions that directly affect our future, our presence at this proverbial solution table is key -- something we can only earn by playing a crucial role in the equation.
But, what is this equation?
In many cases for campaigns and businesses, this is the outreach process and creating a message and strategy of solutions that resonates with a certain constituency or consumer.
This being the case, the only way for young Americans to truly reach new levels of meaningful involvement is to help sculpt that which our elders too often decide for us instead of with us.
Whether it is a campaign message, a marketing strategy, or policy from The White House, the youth are more equipped, experienced, and ready than anyone to venture into the technological cutting-edge and reach out to members of our own generation. After all, who better to perform youth outreach than members of this crucial future consumer, voter, and citizen bloc themselves?
From a political party looking to sustain (or gain) youth support to a failing company hoping to break the mold and secure their base of future consumers, the youth are the individuals most equipped to revolutionize the way this country functions. Now, I am sure many readers are saying: "But, they are just too inexperienced!" I would like to welcome those readers to a new frontier of technological capability that no one has much experience with. And, I would like to introduce them to my generation, one that has only known this frontier of new, exciting, and innovative ways to connect with each other. We are more experienced with this revolution than anybody else can possibly be.
Thus, it is incumbent upon us to do two things: 1. We must offer our unique expertise to all significant parts of the equation -- the campaigns, industrial leaders, elected officials, and all others involved and 2. Aid these entities in reaching out to our peers, our own generation, for the purpose of more effective outreach instead of mere olive branches.
Recently, I founded Youthocracy (www.youthocracy.org), an entirely youth-led and non-partisan consulting organization devoted to offering those two elements to the equation, so that our generation can earn a role in the solution. While other youth-led organizations exist, they are far too often used as messengers of a message that is not their own. For example, in campaigns, youth-led organizations can pump out millions of volunteers, but rarely see the opportunity to shape the strategy and message that they will deliver.
Volunteering and activism is of crucial importance. But, having a say in strategy and message during this outreach process is much easier to translate into a concrete role when action is finally taken. This country would significantly benefit from a "Youthocracy" consisting of young Americans using their cutting-edge expertise to help older leaders shape the policy that will affect their futures.
If nothing else, it would provide a fresh and revolutionary approach to addressing current problems that will affect members of my generation more than those who seek to solve these problems today. Young Americans will only see true youth outreach when our leaders are rubbing shoulders with their leaders.