ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 02nd Nov, 2020) A sizeable number of youth will not only play a crucial role in deciding the results of the 2020 US Presidential election, but also likely to influence American politics in their lifetime, according to an expert.
"The first thing that is really significant about young adults in the United States today is that there are a lot of them. There are 88 million millennials or Generation Z. So, just by size alone, young adults stand to impact the political process significantly, dramatically," said Dr. Elizabeth Matto, director of the Centre for Youth Political Participation at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
The millennials - approximately between the ages of 23 to 38 - and Generation Z - born after 1997, about age 22 or so - are using their advanced internet and social media skills in electioneering, and working as poll workers, she pointed out.
"And once they have become involved as a 20-year-old poll worker, they are likely to stay involved in politics throughout the rest of their lives," Matto said at a recent virtual briefing organised by the US State Department's Foreign Press Centre for journalists participating in a virtual reporting tour of the election process.
More than 200 journalists have been selected for the eight-week long virtual tour, from media outlets across the globe, including Emirates news Agency, WAM.
Dr. Matto leads research as well as educational and public service efforts designed to encourage and support the political learning of high school and college students, and civic action among young adults, including those holding and running for public office.
A large number of young adults have been casting their ballots early.
Over about three million already voted by last week of October, she said, adding that in the US, millennials and Generation Z are the most ethnically and racially diverse generations in American history.
"The racial, ethnic compositions of these generations have a very different outlook or worldview than previous generations. Millennials, Generation Z in the United States, are highly educated, have more education at this stage of their life than previous generations did," she said.
The silent generation - born between 1928 and 1945 - and baby boomers - born approximately between 1946 and 1964 - had a real strong connection to politics. However, a shift occurred with Generation X - born between 1965 and 1980 - where there was less engagement with politics, she explained.
"What has been interesting about Millennials and now, especially Generation Z, is that when there has been this downturn in interest or engagement among young adults, Millennials offered some hope that young adults were interested in their communities, in making their communities better," Dr. Matto observed.
"For example, I think this year, young adults really are making the most of their facility, their superiority when it comes to social media and the use of the Internet."
TikTok, the social media application, is really big among college-age students and many of them use it as a way to walk people through the voter registration process.
"For example, a number of my students have made TikTok videos on how to update your voter registration, how to fill out your ballot correctly. They used it as a way to teach and educate their fellow citizens," the professor explained.
The young adults really have stepped up in the current situation. "Traditionally in the United States, it used to be older Americans who work at polling stations working all day, greeting voters, helping them use the machines," Dr. Matto pointed out.
Because of the public health emergency, as older Americans are vulnerable to COVID-19; young adults have been encouraged to serve as poll workers. "And I think young adults have really responded in that way," she said.
