Is Voting for Young People? by Martin P. Wattenberg Essay

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, television quickly emerged into a popular and greatly desired entertainment system in America. Although expensive, the television was still found in over fifty million American homes. Socially, the television not only embellished what the time period believed to be the “ideal” family, but the new technology also helped pull women closer to a world vacant of sexism and stereotypes, while also drawing African Americans closer to a society without racism, segregation, and prejudice. As well as social benefits, the television substantially impacted the world of politics by airing the platforms of political candidates and broadcasting important news concerning America. Additionally, the fields of advertising and

Putnam states, “As late as 1975 Americans nationwide chose among a handful of television programs. Barely a quarter century later, cable, satellite, video, and the Internet provide an exploding array of individual choice. Second, electronic technology allows us to consume this hand-tailored entertainment in private, even utterly alone” (Putnam, 217). Putnam summarizes the transition of the news as a tool to fight individualism, into an outlet of individualism nicely. While at one point members of society received the same news at the same time; today’s citizens read their self-tailored news, when it is most convenient for them, thus eliminating the unifying factor.

Technology has forever changed the way we receive our news and has irreversibly changed the landscape of the media. The growth of cable television and the shift from television to the internet have facilitated the growth of both infotainment and narrowcasting. The main question that we’re asking today is how both infotainment and narrowcasting have an impact on politics in America. To better understand this question, we must first know what infotainment and narrowcasting are.

In the article, “Takoma Park 16-year-old savors his history-making moment at the polls,” by Annys Shin, many teens who are 16-17 years old can now vote during the election. The decision was made by the Takoma City Council that in Montgomery County Community, they are the first ones in the nation to lower their voting age from 18-16 years old. A group of 350 students from Montgomery Blair High School were granted the right to vote in elections and one of the student who got the right to vote, Ben Miller had said, “ It’s a valuable Privilege,” and he means that it is a great advantage that many 16-17 years old can now vote. Many young adults who are the age of 18 are most likely not a good age to vote because many of them are planning to leave their childhood homes. And they can lack of discipline and causes them not to vote.

The main point according Martin P. Wattenberg in Is Voting For Young People is that young people today do not vote during elections as much compared to other voting groups. Young people today are politically unengaged. “These state patterns of voting participation can be confirmed on the national level by the Census Bureau’s 2010 survey data. Among U.S. citizens under the age of 30 in 2010, only 24 percent reported that they voted.” (Page-188, IVYP) The low attendance of young people voting in Presidential elections indicates that young people do not care enough about politics to participate.

The popularity of television developed in the 1950’s, but the power of television as a medium secured its place in the 1960’s. This is demonstrated statistically in a Roper research poll aimed to investigate American television habits and related attitudes (Small 12). Adult participants were asked how they received most of their news about world current events and were then given options including television, newspapers, magazines or radio. In 1959, 57% identified newspapers over television; by 1969, television had taken the lead as the preferred source as stated by 64% of individuals (13). Participants were also asked which source they would be more inclined to believe if they experienced conflicting reports of the same news story. In the 1959 poll, the results showed television slightly behind newspapers, but the 1969 responses showed an increase of 44% choosing television as a more trusted source over 21% identifying newspapers. Again, the enchantment with television was revealed when more than half of the respondents identified TV as the option most likely to keep if forced to choose between the four previously mentioned mediums (13). The changes exhibited over a decade reveal the public’s budding dependence on television broadcast news.

In the Persuasive argument, “16:The Right Voting Age”, the National Youth Rights Association they claim that 16 years old can vote. The National Youth Rights Association states “Teens are already treated like adults for example, 16-year-old can drive legally in many states.Also, young people can be tried for serious crimes as adults”(451). The National Youth Rights Association are insisting that teenagers can drive car and if did something wrong they will get a punishment. My claim is similar to The National Youth Rights Association; however, it differs in that teens are treated like adults, adolescents do not have the same responsibility that adults have. In addition, According to The National Youth Rights Association,

As a first time voter I feel that it would be exciting to be apart of choosing the next leader of our country. We can choose the right economic policies that will positively affect the future. It’s a way to honor those who fought for us during the Civil rights movement. We, as young voters get a chance to exercise our rights as adults and make a difference. We can also demonstrate our concerns as future parents for the next generation. Voting is our way expressing our thoughts in politics and the world itself.

According to research obtained by Cornell University scientists, 92% of Americans watch TV, 87% read newspapers, and 81% specifically watch local or national televised news stations…

Some more of Wattenberg’s major arguments was that newspapers are actually the major source of political news but young adults hardly ever pick up a newspaper to read it, not to mention young adults read less and less as the years goes by. The one reason a young adult may read is because they were assigned to read from their professor or they actually like to read and I am pretty sure they are not reading about politics. Moreover, some more of his arguments was that now television is involved and there

Why vote? This is a major question among many young Americans today. America's youth, does not take the time to read articles, observe the news, or pay attention to presidential debates and campaigns due to their busy schedules. This creates two problems. First, young voters have little knowledge of current issues in the election. Also as a result, they are unaware of the importance of voting. Each presidential election stirs up an old controversy of whether to vote or not to vote. There are many young people who think that voting is not important; I believe that it is. By voting you are exercising your right as an American to voice your opinion, and young Americans need to become aware of this.

According to the book Celebrity Politics, approximately 10 percent of Americans get national political news from nightly entertainment shows such as the Tonight Show. For Americans under 30, the number is nearly five times as many (Orman and West 100). Citizens are looking to be entertained rather than simply educated by the nightly news. As David Schultz aptly put it, “ The new media cover politics, but only politics as it entertains, in part, because the audience the new media attract is a less politically interested audience than traditional news audiences” (20). The fact is that this American audience is less interested in hard news and more interested in

The lacked of youth voters has been a major concern for the democratic system in the United States and other countries. Studies has been and still trying to understand why youth tends to slack off when it comes to this crucial part of democratic practices. In light of this continuing problem, solutions have been offered to involve youths, primarily in their early 20s, to participate in this democratic practice. Because this is a high concern of many countries, many authors have written about why it is a tendency among youth and some have offered solutions to end this apathy-madness.

Television at first allowed a new era of public communication which sparked its popularity among the nation. “As Frank Stanton, president of the Columbia Broadcasting System, put it: ‘Not even the sky is the limit.’ (Source A).” This quote tells us how television has vastly expanded public communication and that with it we can achieve so much more beyond our limitations before this invention. The main reason television was considered to have a positive effect on presidential elections was due to the fact that

Popular american clothing company Urban Outfitters distributed a T-shirt printed with the slogan “Voting Is For Old People,” in 2004 sparking a discussion in Martin P. Wattenberg’s text “Is Voting For Young People?,” in which he expresses the absence of young voters in election polls and lack political involvement in the United States of American and other established democracies. In his 2011 third edition of his book he compiles and explains the many variables attained in understanding this peculiar development. Variables such as the changes in technology and generational gaps, issues such as lack of civil engagement and possibly solutions to the lacking of young voters in the future.