Catch21 Productions | The Youth Citizenship Commission

The Youth Citizenship Commission - A step in the right direction

A few weeks ago the government set up the Youth Citizenship Commission, to try and actively encourage youth participation in politics and to examine our understanding of what it means to be a British citizen. There’s a lot of discussions around the perception of young people in the media. With the majority of stories we hear being about youth violence, gangs, teenage pregnancy, it seems as though we are becoming the lost generation. Fortunately, this isn’t the case, unfortunately the media doesn’t seem willing or able to portray another it as anything else.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t really like the label of ‘young people’. It groups everyone under the age of 23 together, assuming that we all have the same thoughts, opinions, passions and problems. Politicians seem so proud of themselves when they have discussed the issues with ‘young people’, usually meaning they’ve had a conversation with someone of school age about whatever their hot topic of the moment is. On the BBC recently there was a report where a young person was asking questions about the impact of the Olympics. Yes, I think it’s good that the younger generation are being represented on the news and in programmes such as Question Time, but the way that this particular report was presented, to me anyway, it seemed as though BBC producers were patting themselves on the back for showing the opinion of the youth of today.

What I do agree with is the fact that we do need more representation in politics and in the media. The negative perception surrounding young people needs to be changed. This not only includes the news, but also television shows.

When Skins first came out there was somewhat of an uproar in the press. Parents were wringing their hands, terrified that this was what their darling children were secretly getting up to behind their backs. We need to be given a bit of credit. The majority of young people aren’t running around high off their faces, getting pregnant and stabbing people.

We have our own opinions and ideas. Many of us across the country are doing fantastic volunteer work, helping out in their local community, while they study. Why should we let a few rotten apples at the bottom of the barrel form the opinion of everyone else in the country. The media needs to start looking at the amazing work that young people are doing, and recognise that we have a lot to offer.

Is there any wonder why young people are turned off by politics? Who would want to hold an interest in a system covered in sleaze, where instead of being valued for our thoughts and opinions we are patronised, told that we possibly couldn’t understand. Try us. If politicians want to get the youth vote, they need to engage us in a meaningful way.

En fin. As much as I hate clichés, I’ve been finding that they do ring true. We are the future, and instead of looking down on us and thinking that we’re all lost causes, I hope that the Youth Citizenship Commission achieves their aims, because to be honest, it’s about bloody time!

photo courtesy of pit van meeffe @ flickr