The fetishization of "the youth" and "young people" in politics - Why does it occur so much?

[Iwasamwillbe]

Going through this modern political discourse, there are a collection of tidbits that are constantly being recycled, with only aesthetic changes upon each reuse. They are:

"Why are all the candidates old geriatric boomers?"

"So-and-so's candidacy has real young people behind it, unlike those of his opponents."

"You old people only vote such-and-such a way because you know that you ultimately don't have to deal with the consequences of voting that way, and that the young people do, as they have a future that involves those consequences."

Etc.

What is it about the opinion or viewpoint of a "young person" or "youth demographic" that inherently makes it "better" or more valuable than the opinion or viewpoint of an "old person" or "elder demographic", especially given the relative lack of life experience?

How do we even define a "young person" in politics anyway?

 

[Niggernerd]

Nothing excpet to make them feel like they matter. God knows my generation needs to feel special every fucking second or they throw bitch fits.

 

[Bassomatic]

It's a few angles, one children are off limits to attack, even when done respectfully in just disagreement. You can show the amount of lives saved by fire arms and people will screech at least David Hogg is TRYING! For example.

It hypes up the younger voter base whom, doesn't vote as much as they like to claim they do.

Also yeah it's an ego trip. Really this isn't that deep an issue, just another spin to get what people want, and now exploiting children is fair game for that goal.

 

[BONE_Buddy]

"How do we even define a "young person" in politics anyway?"

Are they under the age of 35?

X<35 is the most commonly used marker for the "youth."

Politics is an old man's game.

 

[Give Her The D]

Simple: I think young people are a lot more gullible and influenced nowadays with the education system the way it is, alongside generational influences outside of school.

This is especially true with the Internet. There's really no central regulating force on shitty/dangerous content, so we get fringe lunatics influencing children to be either far-left or far-right, usually on the left part of things.

 

[Shadfan666xxx000]

Simple: I think young people are a lot more gullible and influenced nowadays with the education system the way it is, alongside generational influences outside of school.

This is especially true with the Internet. There's really no central regulating force on shitty/dangerous content, so we get fringe lunatics influencing children to be either far-left or far-right, usually on the left part of things.

Young people are also driven to prove themselves more, so they can typically be primed to act as spokesmen and organizer fodder when you need it, especially at low cost.

 

[Give Her The D]

Young people are also driven to prove themselves more, so they can typically be primed to act as spokesmen and organizer fodder when you need it, especially at low cost.

True that.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

The answer in a single word: Purity.

The current social media movement is built on the foundation of purity where, if you fuck up once, you deserve to have your live ruined (unless you are a member of a useful group). And children are the ultimate symbol of purity (despite said purity of children is a very different beast from the political purity of social justice). So we have groups trying to argue that the wrong people are old and thus impure, while their candidate is actually leading young people and so is worthy of purity. Other intances are the resident child messiah that espouses ideas that would kill billions, but he is young so he is pure and therefore right. Literally the worldview of a Disney film, usually abused by people who are the most corrupt whores on earth.

 

[Charls did nothing wrong]

Young = new = progress = correct

old = stagnant = wrong

Also validation from hot young women

 

[Demonslayer1776]

Its pandering to a group that is more malleable and not much more really. The youth is less likely to have a firmly decided political alignment, so pandering is more common in an attempt to sway them. You're unlikely to sway a 50 year old man who has been loyal to his party for decades, but you might be able to swing a dumb college kid who isnt really sure what they believe beyond what they've been taught in class, or motivate them to go out and vote considering their turnout is poor.

 

[queerape]

Because young voters will support your party for a whole lot longer. If you appeal to older people only what are you going to do in 25 years when most of your voting base is dead?

 

[Dildo]

There's also the factor that the older you get the more disillusioned and conservative (not necessarily right wing) you tend to become.

Younger people are more likely to be open to new ideas and more likely to be loud and open about it.

 

[Idiotron]

HEY, KIDS!!!
WE REALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE T SAY!!!
PLEASE, VOTE FOR USE WHEN YOU TURN 18!!!

That's what it is.

 

[I-chi]

The same it's always been.

The cultural appeal of 'Fuck you mom and dad'. It may change its colors a hundred times across generations, but it's always grounded in the desire of the idiotic, untested youth to snub their elders out of blind contrarianism until they get their asses burned and they come running back. Or grow out of it, god willing.

 

[RedAntiNationalist]

Old peoples brain does not work as well. This isn't a conspiracy theory or fetish of youth.

 

[Syaoran Li]

Old peoples brain does not work as well. This isn't a conspiracy theory or fetish of youth.

OK Millennial.

While the Boomers are now old enough to start going senile, the Millennials and Early Zoomers are idiotic woke tards on average.

 

[RedAntiNationalist]

OK Millennial.

While the Boomers are now old enough to start going senile, the Millennials and Early Zoomers are idiotic tards on average.

Ok middle aged fag. No one cares.

 

[Syaoran Li]

Ok middle aged fag. No one cares.

I'm 26, dipshit.

I talk shit about the later Millennials and early Zoomers because I'm one of them.

 

[RedAntiNationalist]

I'm 26, dipshit.

I talk shit about the later Millennials and early Zoomers because I'm one of them.

Very deep and big brained of you

 

[Syaoran Li]

Very deep and big brained of you

Lol, calm down.