Targeting the Millennial Generation

Microsoft’s X-Box has an enviable reputation among young people; the realistic games are fun and widely popular. In the latest example of strange political bedfellows, the new X-Box ad campaign promotes political activism among young people, encouraging them to vote. If only young voters commanded similar attention from politicians themselves, the much-bewailed political apathy of Generation Y could be solved.

Recent polls clearly document a decline in the number of 18-24 year-olds who vote; current events rank slightly below navigating the fro-yo machine in the minds of too many college students. Television advertising is the most powerful communicative tool politics has ever seen, yet the fraction of ads targeting youth is negligible.

Money tells: the fact that candidates spend almost nothing to recruit the support of young voters is the clearest example of lawmakers’ belief in the apathy and powerlessness of youth. Of course, the paucity of major campaign donors under 30 has something to do with politicians’ willingness to disregard the opinions of twenty-somethings. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, this disregard reinforces the apathy among college-age potential voters. Young people have exploded into national prominence in the last decade as entrepreneurs, dot-com millionaires, pop stars and community activists. The ’90s recognized the power of youth to change social and economic culture. The current decade must witness a corresponding expansion in the political influence of the young. Young people must remember the power of law to improve social conditions.

The Millennial generation is involved in community service to an incredible extent—a recent survey found that fully 60 percent of 18-24 year-olds view community volunteerism as the most effective method of improving society. Young people today give unprecedented amounts of time and energy to public service. Channelling that drive into political activism will produce top-down change by electing candidates dedicated to youth concerns: the environment, clean elections, the future of social welfare programs. Combining community volunteerism with political engagement will solve both local and national problems more effectively than either tactic could alone. Economic dynamism and vigorous community service distinguish the Millennial generation. Apathy is not a Millennial characteristic. Instead of lamenting the selfishness and cynicism of young people, politicians and pundits must entice them into political service by demonstrating the power of laws to effect social change. Corporate advertisers target youth to secure future customers. Lawmakers must similarly focus on showing young people that politics can be ethical, rewarding and above all, powerful. Targeting youth for political service will secure not future customers, but visionary leaders.