Would giving 16-year-olds the vote improve democracy or just change the way campaigns are run?
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
Would giving 16-year-olds the vote implore democracy, or just change the way campaigns are run?
In my opinion, giving 16-year-olds the vote is just a recipe for disaster. The world is already corrupt, let’s not add to that; if anything, they should set the bar higher.
Parties will adapt to teenagers’ likings, and they will try to manipulate them. Also, they can be bribed and/or blackmailed into voting for a specific party by peers or the general public. I agree that some teenagers are adequately developed, but they are still at risk. Even adults fall into the trap of manipulation, how can 16-year-olds cope with this
Furthermore, children don’t know the consequences of voting; they might just classify all of the information given as true without doing any research on trusted websites. Voting is a privilege, though it can also be a burden; it is hard to decide which person will give you the best future.
Some people may argue that adults are as vulnerable to manipulation as children. While this is true, adults will attempt to make the correct decision, unlike some children which might just vote with the little information they are given by parties.
Again, people might think that children deserve democracy. While I do nit contradict this, we need to think about the consequences. We are currently in a geopolitical crisis. With the Israel-Iran war and the Ukraine-Russia war, children are the last thing we need.
In conclusion, the hint of democracy that comes with children voting is just an illusion; allowing children to vote is just a recipe for disaster.
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