Are young voters as naive as they are portrayed?

Question

I've read dozens of questions on here, and the majority refer to young voters consistently as , "Naive, uninformed, lazy, not educated on the issues, stupid, lemmings, easy misled, etc... The majority of these attacks come when a young voter expresses their intent to vote for a particular candidate. How do young voters on here feel about being characterized this way, and what specific reasons are you voting for your particular candidate?

Additional Details

I have to scratch my head at the answers that say their kids are naive, unimformed, lazy... Why are they not actively using this election to educate them for when they ARE eligible to vote? Talk about naive and lazy.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

No, it's just that the Baby Boomers are much older than they think they are. They're starting to reach old age, but they still think of themselves as middle age and their children as the tykes playing on the front lawn. They don't realize that the tykes have gone to college, read world news and work 9 to 5 in a shirt and tie now.

My prediction: You will see the Gen-X and Gen-Yers stand up in this election and it will be a serious shock to the current Boomer-dominated economy and government.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Good balance in your answer - and you didn't answer with a smartass arrogant remark belittling someone - you stated a simple truth. Most excellent.

Answer 2

No, it's age inequality. Young voters in college know what they are talking about. Just b/c a person is old, doesn't mean they are more educated.

Answer 3

"There is a term for candidates that depend on the young vote: Losers"

Source(s):

James Carville

Answer 4

If the answers on this site are any indication: yes.

Answer 5

Believe me --- there's a lot of elders on here who are portrayed just as naive, ill-informed and completely biased.

Answer 6

You've heard the old quote:

"If you're under 30 and not a Liberal, you have no heart. If you're over 30 and not a Conservative, you have no brain."

Source(s):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news…

Answer 7

Well, I've mostly seen it from the republican side. To be fair, I don't think they're young. This country has one of the highest high school drop out rates. They're probably just dumb.

Answer 8

No, I believe that young voters are fully plugged in and have a great handle on the issues.

Answer 9

Good question.... and I am too old to answer, but look forward to some of the results.

Most of the "young" voters I've seen/heard/read are incredibly naive and clearly don't understand the FULL impact of what they [think] they believe or claim to support.

Answer 10

I think there are naive voters all across America, but the young get the blunt of the attacks. I am 21 and very involved politically. But I recognize many around me, young and old, are naive. Calling someone naive without really talking to them though is a cop-out when you don't wanna recognize there are points for voting for both candidates. It's not as black-and-white as some think. Just cause we don't immediately give our rational justifications doesn't mean we don't have them.

Answer 11

Actually, it's the seniors that scare me more than anything. They will not accept change, and refuse to even consider Obama for fear they may lose something. What that is, I don't know since their savior Bush has screwed them royally .

Answer 12

hopefully the majority of young people are at school right now and not chatting on the internet (as i have a home office i can do this)

now except for stupid your above statement is correct. how do i know because i have a 16 yr. old, a 14 yr. old, an 11 yr. old, and an 18 mon. old and know from experience that they are naive, not fully informed, lazy, easily mislead, and definitely uneducated on the issues. you can argue all you want but knowledge backed by experience through learned wisdom is not wrong.

Source(s):

knowledge, experience, wisdom.

Answer 13

"Naive, uninformed, lazy, not educated on the issues, easily misled" would describe a majority of voters OF ALL AGES.

It's easy to say this about the youth. But judging by the number of youth that supported Ron Paul's presidential bid, I would say they are far more aware of the impending doom we face than many give them credit for. They're simply not panicking because the old ways must fall before a new way can begin. As opposed to the last generation who is hanging on to failed systems even as these systems implode on them.

Again, I think you're description applies to voters of all ages.

3rd Party '08

Answer 14

No I think that is an overgeneralization, there are some smart younger people who have really studied the issues and will vote based on their own research.

Then their are the sheeple, and there are older people in that category as well.

Answer 15

I'm a young voter myself and no not every young voter is ill-informed, but many are. Many people refuse to research a candidate on their own or refuse to see what is right in front of their face when it is presented to them. Many young voters dont do much in the way of thinking and just voet for the "coolest" guy or the guy they want to sit down and have a beer with.

Answer 16

It is the truth that the young voters are naive, uninformed, not educated on the issues, lazy, and stupid.

I will tell you the reason why this true.

Look at the majority of the students in any school, and in any grade. Most of them are bad students. They get bad grades, because they are either not smart, lazy, or both.

This would reflect on everything in their lives, including finding the truth about which candidate is the right choice.

Answer 17

Young voters are not going to care how they are "characterized" on YA!, There are always going to be dumb people of all ages. I bet most people do not know that half of all American adults don't have more than a 6th grade reading level. At least Young voters have an excuse for not knowing certain things, at least they can be taught things they don't know. It's the idiot adults who cling to their bibles and the GOP that are killing our country and letting evil fascists take over our country.

Answer 18

I think a lot of young voters are naive, some only voting for their candidate because of the color of their skin. Although some of the older voters are doing the same thing.

I will not be voting for either Obama or McCain, im am voting with a third party this year. Because if enough people get out of the thought of having a "Democrat or Republican" than maybe the USA will get the change that everyone is talking about.

You think that bringing another republican will bring change, you are wrong, it will only change the name of the president, and if bringing in a democrat is going to bring change, its also just going to change the name, and party the president belongs to, everything else will be lies, just like the republican party.

All politicians lie, but i cannot vote for either party, that is why im voting for a third party representative.