Today’s youth are more nuanced & multifaceted than ever, yet met with candidates that are old, White and out of touch with their values. And while the majority of youth have never felt like media coverage of the presidential election was tailored to them, they’re even less likely to think so today than 4 years ago (47% in 2016 versus just 38% today). For a mobile first generation that communicates most efficiently in short-form video, Tweets and soundbites, the gap between them and politicians couldn’t be any wider.
“The candidates are old as dirt. We have nothing in common.I don’t feel they have the best interest of me or my community in mind. There’s nothing and no one to be excited for.
–Tiffani T, 28
What was once a rite of passage, has now turned into a dreaded occasion. Today’s youth feel like they’re choosing the lesser of two evils, and after waiting 18+ years to be able to cast their vote… this is what they’re given?! Many have chosen to opt out, here’s why...
“There’s a hint of rebellion, because of how often we are told ‘we must vote to make a difference’, but yet we’ve never seen a difference in the past.”
—Jylen, 19
It’s a common stereotype to assume today’s youth are either ‘lazy’ or ‘ill-informed’ while they’re all so busy on social media, but what many don’t consider is that all American youth are not able to vote. The percentage of those who aren’t legally allowed to cast a vote and/or have a high barrier to voting might be higher than you think. In fact, in 2016 more than16M young people were unable to vote due to legal status or high-barrier obstacles.
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There are over 75M young people ages 18-34 in theUS that collectively wield the ability to sway an election. While it might be nice to imagine a world where all of us show up to the polls, we know that’s not realistic. Here’s a recap of what is…
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Methodology
REVOLT alongside First & First Consulting conducted a survey with 1,000 U.S. respondents 18–34 years old in September 2020. The second phase of research was a social listening analysis of 200K Twitter posts followed by a third phase of digital diaries via our REVOLT Nation mobile community.
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