Politicians are old—the average age of a congressperson is 58, and the average age in the Senate is 64. Charles Grassley, a Republican senator from Iowa, is 90. In the house, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano, a Democrat from California, is 87. The issue of age is bipartisan.
These numbers tell a story. The people in power in the US will not face the consequences of their actions and are unprepared for a tech race and coming up with effective AI and tech policy. This is a problem. And yet this is the current state of American politics. Why?
Many political scientists believe the problem lies in our gerrymandered states and practically useless state-level general elections. And indeed, this tells an important part of the story. Non-competitive elections breed complacency. Why go to vote, engage in politics, and take the time and energy to learn about the candidates and their opinions when the race doesn’t matter? Why go to the ballot box when your vote means nothing?
Yet, as a youth, I believe the problem lies in inaction, not an archaic system. The electoral college, two branches of congress, and a two-party system have existed since the founding of the US. The former are enshrined in our nation's constitution. Yet, people act as though a system our nation has had for all its history is the reason that we are experiencing an older electorate, with a less engaged, detached youth.
Looking at what has defined the 21st century, the first thing that comes to mind is the internet and the meteoric rise of social media. And who did the internet have the most influence on—youth. Thus, it should be no surprise that the effects of the internet and social media on politics can be seen most clearly through the younger population.
The first effect of the internet, TV, and social media, well documented in works like Bowling Alone and countless studies, is a decline in social interaction. As a youth myself, I have watched one of my closest friends lose his connection with society, becoming obsessed with the world of the internet and spending hours scrolling on Instagram reels instead of coming to play soccer with my friends and I. At school, a phone ban is being implemented, primarily because students use their phones instead of engaging with other students. And for me, I find as I have gotten older, I have less time to hang out with friends and family, both because of my busy schedule and also their obsession with their screens.
Obsession with screens and so, less time outside connecting and learning from others, has created a world where many teenagers (mostly teenage boys) are unhappy, depressed, and even potentially dangerous. They are also unmotivated, leading them to ignorance of politics and a lack of care for the world around them.
Yet, an even more sinister problem lies buried beneath the surface: echo chambers and misinformation. I group these two categories together because they both stem from mass social media use and youth turning to TikTok, Instagram, or X for their news. These platforms make money from views and interactions with posts. Generally, their algorithms try to find what people like and keep feeding them similar content over and over. Because I watch videos about foreign policy and soccer, my YouTube recommended page is filled with soccer highlights and foreign policy videos. Unfortunately, this creates echo chambers. Kids watch a video, like it, and get more of the same type of video. This goes for both Republicans and Democrats alike. Social media reinforces our biases and stark political division.
While echo chambers have driven us apart, misinformation has been the key driver of our detached politics and disengaged youth. It's easy for me to say that people should just fact-check everything they hear or know better, but I understand why people don’t. Hearing something repeated over and over as truth is certainly confusing. Many times, I have gone to debates, ran the same arguments over and over, and come back believing that my logic is sound and the argument is true. Yet, in reality, there is no absolute truth, and with more ways to receive news, it is hard to figure out what is truth and what is fiction.
When youth are socially, politically, and even physically disengaged, there is no one to hold our elders responsible. We as youth can agree that school shootings are a problem, even if we disagree on how to deal with them. We can agree that rising cost of living and lack of quality education are problems, though we disagree on how to solve them. Yet, if we simply stay glued to our phones instead of going outside, playing with friends and family, and taking a little effort to understand the world around us, the 64-year-old man who represents you in the Senate will get exactly what he wants.
As youth, we do not need to agree on how to solve problems or even what the problems themselves are. But we are the next generation. It is our job to advocate for the future in whatever way you think is best. We need to be able to get outside our comfort zone, be ok with disagreeing with people, and disrupt the status quo. It is our job to try to understand the world we are moving into so we can better address its challenges. And it is our job to make sure that we get off our phones, take a walk outside, and see the power we have to change the future!
For your own sake and for the sake of future generations, close this computer and take a walk. Walk to your friend's house or to a nearby local business. If you have siblings, go and spend time with them. Learn from your parents and from your teachers and peers, and be willing to take risks. With a more engaged youth, today's problems will have today's answers, not the answers of 20 years ago repeated by your 60-year-old representative.
