Young people aged between 15 and 25 make up a large portion of the South African and global population – but have limited influence in national political institutions.
Why is this and how can it be changed?
The youth of our nation hold the key to the future of our country. This may sound clichéd, but it is a reality that will not be escaped.
It is a reality that the youth of South Africa may or may not take into account, especially when given a chance to participate in the democracy so many fought and died for.
It cannot be denied that there are young people who keep an open mind when it comes to casting their vote for the first time, yet the alarming truth is that many more potential voters are disillusioned by the state of our nation and choose not to participate because they feel their voices are not heard.
According to registration statistics from the Independent Electoral Commission, just under 550 000 people (less than 2% of the total amount of voters registered) between 18 and 19 years old had registered to vote in the 2016 municipal elections A figure that indicates elections are not taken seriously in that age group.
Crime, the poor delivery of services, corruption and badly-equipped schools in this 23-year-old democracy have eaten away at the morale of the masses. This could also be the reason for the current state we find ourselves in.
Disenfranchised students have been active in making the government sit up and take note through demonstrations and protests over the last years.
In an article for the Human Sciences Research Council, Jare Struwig, Stephen Gordon and Benjamin Roberts documented that the youth of South Africa, in fact, are in touch with political issues they are affected by, with the major protest actions of movements like #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall bearing testament to this.
While this is true, the violence factor (something that has attached itself to the cause) has made it evident that there is a great need for more formal relations between the state and the young people of the country.
The limited influence that the youth of South Africa and the rest of the world have in their national political institutions is an issue that can be dealt with, but needs time.
One of the greatest tools of our time, social media, is possibly what will aid us with this.
Without us realising it, platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have become arenas where the youth is being politically socialised.
In the past this was done through the people we are constantly in contact with and traditional media like television or radio, yet in 2016 it is instant, using a mobile phone, meaning it also reaches more people, making this the most informed generation.
This means it should not be impossible for the youth to gain influence in political institutions.
It also means the other side should find it a lot easier to engage with the future of our nation by using the space to educate the younger electorate on matters concerning political parties.
This could possibly create a blanket of trust for the disenfranchised youth and even prevent a revolution from erupting.