Would giving 16-year-olds the vote improve democracy or just change the way campaigns are run?
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Giving 16 year olds the vote both improves democracy and also changes the way campaigns are run. Many 16 year olds around the world have been fighting really hard trying to prove that 16 year olds should also get the right to vote just like any other adult, but others don't really care about what is happening around them and just.. go with the flow. The people who have fought so hard just to get democracy for the young voters will finally be able to rest and many if the 16 year olds will be happy, others might be anxious because they can sometimes think that they're not ready for these kind of changes but I'm sure with time they'll get used to it.
They may get influenced or manipulated a bit too easily making it easy for them to face consequences as they often do actions before thinking about the consequences that may happen due to their own decisions. Back to the topic, it can and might change the campaigns either for the better or for the worse. It depends on how the 16 year olds will handle their decisions, they might make the campaigns reputation by going down because of trusting an influencer on social media and immediately hating on the company or maybe making a bad campaign rise to fame because their favorite social media star recommened it to them.
It can also make good campaigns change for the better, such as making the right campaign rise to fame due to their products being safe and good, some campaigns also have to change adjust so the products they're selling by listening to the young voters they can even learn a thing or two from them, these result in better products because as more people from different age groups give different suggestions their products might become even better. All of these may be caused when young voters ACTUALLY think about the consequences to their actions and become more mature and responsible, ready for the future.
Comments (1)
My opinion is that;
Giving 16-year-olds the vote could make democracy feel more alive and connected to young people’s real experiences. At 16, many are starting work, paying taxes, learning about the world, and forming strong opinions about things that affect their lives—like education, climate, and social issues. Letting them vote could encourage governments to take youth concerns seriously, and it might make schools and communities more interested in teaching about civic responsibility.
On the other hand, campaigns might shift focus to younger audiences, using social media, trends, and messaging that grabs attention rather than encouraging deep discussion. Politicians could try to appeal to what’s “cool” or popular among teens rather than engaging with complex policies. So, while it could improve democracy by including voices that are usually unheard, it might also change the way campaigns are run—sometimes in ways that feel more like marketing than real debate.
I agree because, when you say that it can change the democracy by encouraging the 16 year olds to try new things, I am not saying that it is a bad thing but there are also disadvantages to encouraging them to vote. They might feel more pressured and they are also easily influenced and manipulated and that can cause consequences for the actions they have done if they don't think hard or deep enough.
As for the way campaigns are being run differently I love how you talked about how the campaigns must adjust because most teenagers like cool, trending items and products so they'd have to adjust to the teenagers. Of course the campaign would like to win so they're trying to adjust to the new voices and yes maybe the politics would change because some teenagers basically argue over everything and nothing. They might even argue over which products are the best, who knows? But as I was saying yes it does change campaigns making then adjust there products to fit better to the likings of the teenagers.
I disagree because... whit this point becase compaigns might shift focus to younger audiences ,using the media