Hope and Politics

As a young person growing up in today’s political climate, I’ve rarely meet any peers who don’t care about politics. It’s our future – of course we care about the issues shaping our world. Young people aren’t apathetic; they’re overwhelmed. Most young people care about today’s issues to an overwhelming degree, yet their sheer magnitude can leave us feeling powerless and demotivated. Part of this stems from the fact that many of us are conditioned from a young age: if our parents don’t vote or engage politically because they feel their individual contribution doesn’t matter, that mindset can be passed down, shaping how we see our own role.

Youth on the daily are exposed to vast amounts of information and contrasting opinions through doom-scrolling and constant online engagement. This can lead to information overload and overexposure to many loud, dominating, and aggressive voices. People online often tend to communicate in a much more hostile way than they would in person, and youth end up being launched headfirst into a culture that is increasingly polarised and divisive. On top of this, youth are exposed to the fear-mongering often used in politics on many grand issues, such as AI, climate change, and the housing crisis. All of these issues create uncertainty about the future, causing many young people to feel anxiety, pessimism, and hopelessness for what lies ahead.

We currently live in a society shaped by sides, trends, and labels. In film and media, we’re often shown a simplified world of good versus evil. This binary way of thinking can have a big impact on teenagers, especially as we are still finding our identity. This normalises letting groups think for us and this damages politics because it encourages a “right vs wrong” mindset instead of individual critical thinking.

Social media also brings us closer to public figures, creating the illusion that we personally know them. We must remember that we don’t. You can’t love or hate a person you have most likely never met. You can however, disagree with their ideas or actions, but the hatred that society justifies into abuse or violence solves absolutely nothing. We need to remember that everyone is human, and humans are imperfect. We are rarely going to fully agree or fully disagree with someone on everything.

Blame is a natural reaction when there are problems, but anger, name-calling, and vitriol don’t fix anything. Instead, we should challenge ourselves to think beyond the framework society gives us. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Even when we strongly disagree with someone, we don’t need or have the right to personally hate them. People are naturally morally grey and imperfect, including ourselves, whether we want to admit it or not. However, we must strive to be good. Recognising this doesn’t mean giving up on what’s right. It means striving to be better without turning others into enemies.

All of this can make messages of hope sound hollow, yet hope is one of our greatest strengths moving into the future – and it’s something that every one of us can contribute. Even hope can be an action. If we think of the world as a giant jug of water we are filling up; we as teenagers might only have one millilitre we can contribute, and more influential people like world leaders may have one litre. However, it’s imperative that we remember that one thousand millilitres makes up a litre, and that whenever we get the chance we should all do what we can to help the world. Even if all we can offer is hope – or something a little more. Getting involved, even in the tiniest of ways, can make a difference. It doesn’t have to be big or overwhelming, just be open to the opportunities around you. Like when I was asked to write this article, I don’t know how many people will read it.

Small actions can also be used to help soothe the anxiety many young people feel about the future. It helps when you know you are doing your part. The teenage years are a time when we often have big ambitions and misconceptions about feeling we have to figure everything out, and we can tend to put a lot of weight on ourselves. We don’t have to have everything figured out. This is a unique time in our lives. Let’s enjoy the moment, and take up the tiny meaningful actions we can make.

Around 70% of people struggle with imposter syndrome or confidence – it is such a common thing. I most certainly do, and many of my role models who I never would have imagined struggling with confidence or anxiety have been open about the fact they do. And chances are, many of yours do too. If that teaches us anything, it’s that we can’t let fear stop us from taking action. Not just for the world, but for our personal lives – no one wants to live a life run by fear. We just have to try to take one step at a time, say yes, and seize the opportunities we see to add to the jug of water. As the common saying goes, “fake it till you make it,” though this can sound a lot easier said than done. It’s important to break the stigma that confidence is something we’re born with — it’s gained through experience and time.

There are still so many things young people can do right now – we don’t have to wait to make a difference. We’re not just the leaders of tomorrow, we can also be the leaders of today. Hate and toxicity should not be how we move forward into the future. We can’t control everyone else and how they think, but what we can do, is control ourselves. Let’s choose to be leaders and not followers, even when we’re surrounded by so many influences. We make up society, and that’s how change begins – because we’re its future. Hope can often feel naive, and being cynical can seem smart – but it kills change. If you do one thing for the world, let it be this: keep your hope.