Over the past few years, I have become aware of a growing number of adolescents becoming increasingly aware of political antics. Over the past week, Facebook and twitter have Succumb to a immense amount of political engagement. As a large majority of adolescents have multiple social media accounts, there is where the majority of updates have arisen. I have seen long status’s complaining about the 2014 Federal budget and then 20 plus comments on that same status arguing strongly against them, and at times even using foul language. Most youth today are motivated and strive to do well in everything they do, which means trying to understand and interpret national politics and then make a decision on which political party most suits their needs. If young people fail to engage with local, national and even international politics there would be several issues with our political establishment. Firstly, it would aid in trying to keep policy fair for future generations and secondly it may assist with certain issues. For example, equal rights is an issue that many people, mainly women, feel very strongly about. Many women at a young age are required to engage with the issue at hand and the only way they can do that is through politics. In getting the message out there, countries become wary of political matters that shape the fabric of society.
The term e-democracy is somewhat new to me, but is important when discussing the act of people engaging and informing themselves with democracy. So, a definition, like many words in politics, philosophy etc. is not so easy to define in just one way. The basic characteristic of e-democracy is incorporating 21st century information and communications democracy in order to promote democracy. E-democracy encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that empower the practice of political self-determination. With the introduction of defining youth as ‘self-actualizing’ citizens, the majority of younger generations are becoming more focused on the quality of life issues. In using social media, youth are able to express their opinions and express what they believe politics should be.
Just Another Media Blog 