A Teenager's Role in a Democracy

Bring up the subject of politics to the average teenager and just watch their eyes glaze over. It seems that anything to do with the government tends to have a soporific effect on this age group. The problem is, too many teens in society think that there is no good reason for them to be concerned with the issues of their democracy. They figure that, since they cannot vote in an election until they’re eighteen, there’s no reason for them to get involved beforehand. This is the mistaken and all-too-prevalent view that teens embrace when they don’t know how big of a role they can really play.

A democratic government is a government by the people. This means that if one is being governed, then one should have a say. Teenagers are no exception; they are being governed just like everyone else. Teenagers must abide by the laws that the government decrees, be educated in the school systems that the government establishes, and look for employment in the job market that the government creates. The food teens can eat, the items they can purchase, the music they can listen to, the videos they can watch, and the things that they can say are all affected by the government.

It doesn’t end there. There are many issues that either predominantly or solely affect teens. Who better to decide how these issues should be handled than the teens themselves? Try as they might, the older people commonly found in positions of governmental power can become out of touch with the problems of the younger demographics. When this happens, a teen’s idleness can become a self-afflicted wound. There’s no getting around it: the government has an incredible impact on a teen’s life, whether they try to ignore it or not.

Once teens learn how much the government affects them, they can learn how they can, in turn, influence the government. Casting a ballot for a public official is not the only way that teens can have a say in their government. Anybody can write a letter to a government worker. Still, it always helps to have safety in numbers when trying to convey a concern or opinion. Teens have the skills to get the word out to their peers and ask for their support of an issue, whether it be through a school newspaper or a website.

For the teen who is unconvinced that anything they or their peers do will matter, all they have to do is look at the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18. For years, the minimum voting age was 21, but younger people protested. They said that if they were old enough to be sent to war, then they were old enough to vote for the government that organized the war. The government listened and put the older teens' wishes right there in the Constitution. Who says that, if enough support is shown, the right to vote can’t be extended to include even younger people?

There is a catch to being involved in the democratic process, however: everyone has to do their research. They need to follow current events, watch the news, read debate articles and discuss the issues with others. It sounds boring until teens realize how much it will affect them, now or in the future. Anybody can do the research, and that includes teenagers. Many schools encourage their students to be actively aware of politics. Each time a teen pays attention in civics class or writes a summary of a foreign affairs newspaper article, they are participating in democracy. Being informed is an unavoidable prerequisite to successful participation, and the earlier a person starts in life, the better prepared they will be when they vote.

The fact is that politics are all around us. There's no escaping something so encompassing, so why not embrace it? Better yet, why not use it to your advantage? Citizens in democracies are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns about the government. Teenagers have this same opportunity, so they should take it and see what a difference it makes.

Being a part of something so large, so much bigger than yourself, is inspirational and empowering. Imagine how those teenagers in 1971 felt when the 26th Amendment was passed—all those young people who had assembled, protested, written letters, and contributed to the campaign achieved very concrete and personal results. Today’s teens shouldn't deprive themselves of this uplifting feeling. Every teenager has the potential to play a very important role in a democracy, if they’ll only make an effort. What a difference it’ll make if one can bring up the subject of politics to an average teenager and watch their eyes light up!