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Engaging the Disengaged

Half a million 18-25 year old Australians are not enrolled to vote. This means 500 000 Generation Y citizens are not engaging with politics and not having their voice heard in local, state or federal politics.  The law states that all Australian citizens aged over 18 must vote, so why are so many young people choosing not to enrol and fulfil their democratic duty?  The childish behaviour of the politicians and their failure to communicate effectively online and through social media will impact the upcoming federal election on September 14. If Generation Y do not turn up to the polling booths, both parties are missing a crucial audience. The future of Australian politics lies in engaging and encouraging this seemingly apathetic and disinterested generation. Brittany Macdougall reports.

In today’s technological age, 90% of Generation Y head online to read the news, interact on social media and follow blogs. The average person aged 18-25 logs on through their mobile phone, laptop and tablet multiple times a day. They are interested and engaged in the world, but do not express the same enthusiasm and engagement towards politics in Australia.

Dr Ian Ward, a political communication researcher at the University of Queensland believes this generation is interested, just in a different way.

“They are not interested in parties and organised politics, but that’s not to say they aren’t interested in politics at all, they are just interested in rather different ways,” he said. 



Dr Ward believes these different ways include having an attachment to politics that is embedded in their lifestyle.



“Someone who is environmentally aware and active may not join Greenpeace but will express their views in their lifestyle by not wearing leather shoes, to buy foods from local markets, and calculate the travel miles and carbon costs and to try and embed those practices in to their everyday life.”

What does Generation Y think about social media and politics?



Political Science student Josephine Zavaglia engages with family, friends and brands on social media and follows political issues closely, but is not enrolled to vote.



“The Kevin07 campaign was a prime example of how important it is to engage with Generation Y through social media yet no politician has carried that through and that’s why I’m not enrolled to vote yet. I’m not ready to have my name on the electoral roll  for the rest of my life,” she said.



The youngest member ever to be elected to Federal Parliament, the Honourable Wyatt Roy, Member for Longman, engages regularly on social media but is also wary of it’s role in politics.



“It is a great way to talk to more people, to engage in a two way conversation, especially on Facebook. We talk about local issues.. It brings down barriers and makes us more accessible, which we should be. But it’s a double edge sword. We can’t have meaningful policy debates and conversations in 140 characters and there is an expectation that you reply within minutes,” Mr Roy said.



Active member of Young Labor in Queensland and registered Australian Labor Party member, Andrew Lamb agrees that political communication needs to be improved.

“I think the decline in young people joining parties and engaging is probably due to technology. I mean, we’ve got the internet nowadays. If people are politically motivated a lot of people just jump online, social media, voice your complaints there, you know. Get on there, start an online petition with Get Up! or Youth Climate Change Coalition,” he said.

Dr Ward agrees that online platforms are influencing politics.



“In an age of social media they are constantly changing. So we’ve seen recent powerful demonstrations of social media through Twitter and blogs to mobilise and organise people,” he said.



The onus of 18-25 year old falling participation in politics is on the previous and current political party members.



“The major political parties are, and even the greens are fighting a losing battle. Most people with party memberships are in their 50-60s. They have failed to recruit Generation Y in to their ranks and effectively communicate with them,” Dr Ward said.



For more on political parties rebuilding, follow the link to Mark Lord’s recent article Growing pains for the comeback kids of Young Labor.



“The issues with which the government deals are sufficiently challenging and sufficiently relevant in young people taking an interest. We’re talking about a period where the globe is warming at a significant rate that will affect Generation Y and their children much more than my generation, as well as globalisation and work patters threatening your career structures and the Murray River collapsing and affecting the water supply. Surely there is enough there to warrant [Generation Y] getting engaged and taking part in their own futures, but the political parties don’t encourage it,” Dr Ward said.

 

 

“You’ve got politics in which the voice of young people is heard through the occasional blogs and twitter and occasional protest on social media, but in no ongoing way to speak of,” Dr Ward said.


 

A survey on Generation Y’s engagement was conducted through social media and found that 52% of respondents would be more interested in politics if our political leaders behaved more like adults.

 

 

This result is echoed by Young Liberal National Party member, 21 year old Madolyn Obst.

“How much money are we paying these people per year to run our country and they’re spending their time arguing about who is going to be at the top of the tower. It’s a mess,” she said.



Oliver Michael’s story Turbulent Times ahead for the ALP provides great insight in to the incumbent party’s declining popularity.

Young Labor Secretary Chloe Moss believes attitudes will change as younger people move though the ranks.
“Young people that come through the ranks will do more to connect with Generation Y.  But at this stage the media paints a picture that encourages people not to engage. Young people are finding it difficult to see what politicians can do for them,” Ms Moss said.

Brisbane City Councillor Andrew Wines believes young people should be mindful of how easy it is to take part in politics.

“It’s easier to enroll to vote, and cast your vote, than it is to rent a DVD from Civic Video or Blockbuster,” Cr Wines said.

24 year old university graduate, Scott Ramsay would like to see all young people voting but can see why many are deterred.

“Voting is easy, and I always take part. I find it hard to take a lot of politicians seriously though as they seem to act less mature then a lot of the Gen Y's that I know. I think the ways they present their decision-making processes to us are flat, uninteresting and often lack relevance,” he said.

Mr Roy supports Mr Ramsay’s views.

“Young people are more aware than ever before. People say we are the apathetic generation but that’s not the case. I think they are very aware of what is going on. We have a shorter media cycle; we have the inundation of online and social media. My best mates are not political but they know what is going on. They feel let down by the political process and because of how it’s conducted. ”
Newly elected President of the Young Labor party Michael Watt understands the importance of engaging Generation Y.

“I’d like to look in to the younger demographics disengagement in a formal way later in the year either through a survey or review. I think people moving away from politics and the Labor party and Labor movement because the whole process is very old fashioned,” he said.

Annie Lyon’s story Youth want more than Two at the Party explains alternative options for Australia’s political future.

The graph below shows how many Generation Y respondents’ political views are influenced by the media.


 Considering the majority were somewhat influenced, or strongly influenced by the media, it begs the question:  Why aren't politicians trying to interact and engage directly with younger constituents through social media? 



Generation Y are educated and aware of politics, yet are refusing to taking part in the formal democracy. This generation spends most of their time communicating online, yet when they attempt to engage with a politician, they get a one word response, or no response at all. Perhaps this supposedly disengaged generation is not disengaged at all, just disenchanted with the demonstrated political behviour of recent times.  And just maybe, it’s the politicians who are disengaged, disengaged with this new and upcoming generation.

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