Kids Should Vote | Teen Ink

Kids Should Vote MAG

By Anonymous

     Global warming, stock market plunges, housing market at an all-time low, bird flu, and Americans dying in Iraq! When you’re a kid it feels like you’re letting adults plan your future. Adults are voting, but their votes affect the next generation. We are the ones who have to live with their decisions.

In our multimedia-based society kids are exposed to more information than ever. Television, Internet, and satellite news are available 24/7. Polar ice caps are melting, our troops are dying, and people are starving as we watch live. My generation is more aware of what is going on in the world than previous ones. My generation is more likely to be offspring of single-parent families, multi-racial families, and openly gay parents. The world has changed, society is different from when our parents grew up.

Kids are more socially and politically aware; so why can’t we take part in the political process? What would the political environment be like if kids could vote? Perhaps SUVs would be illegal - if you don’t get 35 miles per gallon, you’re off the road. Why are our troops dying in Iraq if no weapons of mass destruction were found? Perhaps we would bring the troops home now, if kids had a say. How come Katrina victims still need help, while we turn away economic aid from other countries? I would vote to accept help from foreign countries. Why does it matter if we agree with their government or leaders if they want to help? Also, my generation doesn’t care who makes up a family. I would vote that families are people who love and care for their children.

My hope is that because children of my generation have more knowledge, they will make the right decisions. My fear is that kids are so busy memorizing Red Sox stats, so concerned with Britney at the VMA Awards or with beating the newest video game, that they may not pay attention to what will affect their lives. On the other hand, don’t some adults focus on these less important things too?

Perhaps only the politically aware should vote, whether they are 14 or 104. If you don’t know how your vote will affect everyone, or how a candidate will govern, then don’t cast a vote. I guess kids couldn’t do any worse.



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This article has 65 comments.


on Jan. 22 2015 at 10:16 pm
In theory, I like this idea. It poses a problem, however: most children these days either aren't smart enough or don't care enough to make intelligent decisions about our futures. As for the first group, their vote will most likely be swayed by the public opinion of social media, which in turn is created by the second group. That group is made up of children who simply don't care about or cannot comprehend their future, so their votes would be affected by their current state. Want a new video game? Vote to put a cap on its price. Think that one presidential candidate is more attractive than the other? Vote for him (or her), even if their campaign is complete bull. Children simply aren't mature enough to make sophisticated decisions.

meganahmed said...
on Sep. 23 2014 at 7:57 pm
meganahmed, Columbus, Ohio
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
yeah! this realy helps me  

JONJON2134 said...
on Mar. 12 2014 at 8:40 am
I totally agree, if we ware able to voice our opinions then we could impace our own future in a more direct way. And due to that we wouldn't have to live with the careless almost completely stupid things that adults vote for or do when it comes to the government. But maybe we can lower it to 14 because that seems like a more stable age group from my point of view.

faith1235 said...
on Jan. 2 2014 at 2:59 pm
I am a 12 year old a]nd I disagree completly. Kids most likely don't know that much about presidents wich they will learn more about when their older. They would get bored of the really long speeches thst the candidates make, so the kids wouldn't understand them. Kids could judge the candidates too quickly. Kids might also only chose what their parents or friends say and not what they think. And that is what I think.

on Aug. 22 2013 at 1:34 am
graciesings BRONZE, Colorado City, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 4 comments
I think children voting would be a bad idea. Reason 1.  There are enough stupid people voting that adding mixed-up children to the group could be (more) disastrous.   2.  Children usually have little knowledge of economics.  One of the main reasons the American economy is a wreck is that many adults don't understand economics.  Adding more voters who don't understand simple economic rules, like the law of supply and demand, could send the country downhill.  This country is broke and voters with no real financial experience would make the situation worse. 3.  I have seen a lot of kids believe, well, anyone.  When I was 10, my Dad could explain what made wind and what made winter and who the Hessians were, so I figured his political views must be right too!  My teacher understands Homer, Aristotle, and English Grammar.  All of the above are confusing to me.  Since politics are also confusing, shouldn't I vote for whoever my teacher votes for?  She's smart!  I think giving children the right to vote would just set it up where a reclusive adult has one vote and an adult who knows a lot of children has 25 votes.   4.  Modern kids are not well informed.  Thanks to the smartphone, you might know everything Selena Gomez did last week.  But what is the 10th amendment?  How does a loan relate to an exponential function?  What was life in Germany like in the 1920's?  What is the point of your life?
These are questions voters need to know the answers to.  Today's generation of children has spent so much time on their smartphones playing games and texting that most of them can't answer any of these questions. 5.  Which leads me to the shortest reason.  Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

olokai said...
on May. 28 2013 at 10:44 am
i totaly agree with this article but only 10 and up

BY THE WAY said...
on May. 26 2013 at 1:10 pm
smart statistic

BY THE WAY said...
on May. 26 2013 at 1:09 pm
WHAT? plz use just a bit of complex vocab k? just kiddin you sound cutie...lol :)

BY THE WAY said...
on May. 26 2013 at 1:06 pm
i would hate to break this to you but it's NOT in your hand. :P

BY THE WAY said...
on May. 26 2013 at 1:01 pm
PLEASE, don't act so smart coz there are teens who are mature enough to vote. including me, i don't think every teen would go like "oh look at my lip gloss" and "oh i have got a crush on him" and " wow he's hot!"  excuse me but i think i am mature enough to vote you know...:) to you to.

BY THE WAY said...
on May. 26 2013 at 12:53 pm
BTW teens and children might sometimes be immatures but there are others who care just as much as adults and they might have a different  opinion than them. :) to you too

kat18 said...
on Apr. 29 2013 at 1:48 pm
katrina here loves to vote for anything.  

on Apr. 24 2013 at 10:52 am
i think we should vote

Bones96 BRONZE said...
on Feb. 23 2013 at 7:39 pm
Bones96 BRONZE, Charlotte, North Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 108 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life isn't about finding yourself it's about creating yourself-

  While you are correct that most adolescents have more information available to them through the internet and news. That doesn't make them capable to take on the responsibility. As adolescents our frontal lobe aren't fully develop till early to mid twenties. (to be clear the frontal lope is the part of the brain that tells us and understands the differences between right and wrong; as well as help make more logical, rational decisions.) Teenagers a lot of the time tend to make rash decisions based on wanting to rebel such as drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs, ECT. Going back to your argument about having more knowledge that maybe the case but that doesn't mean it is used. Studies also show that with inherited genes and nurture from the parents children often take after their parents even if they change their option later. To sum it up I believe there are some adolescents that are capable to take on that responsibility and may have valid plans. But in the long run we'd have to change how the schools work and how parenting is handled. Most 'kids' as you say are not mature enough. I agree with your concerns and perhaps there should be some kind of test for everyone before voting to determined if that person should vote. Though that will likily never happen.

momogoogle said...
on Oct. 22 2012 at 10:06 pm
I totally agree i have read this article and you are right were young so what we still have brains right! Maybe the person that gets ellected (Obamma) e.hint hint. jk may be they will  change the law and let us vot

trip mane said...
on Mar. 15 2012 at 12:55 pm
yes they should vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crazy guy said...
on Mar. 15 2012 at 12:54 pm
i think that kids should be given that responsibility

JayMoney said...
on Mar. 15 2012 at 12:54 pm
I agree with this article because i believe that children should have the right to vote and to have it counted. I fell that is really important as us kids and I take it seriously.

JayMoney said...
on Mar. 15 2012 at 12:54 pm
I agree with this article because i believe that children should have the right to vote and to have it counted. I fell that is really important as us kids and I take it seriously.

crazy guy said...
on Mar. 15 2012 at 12:53 pm
kids should not vote because they are not mature enough to be given that responsibility