this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2023
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I think it's fine in theory. However, like the other commenter mentioned, it might not be with the best intentions. Young voters, like older voters, tend to be easier to manipulate.
In Austria it‘s already been a thing for a long time and… I can see where you are coming from. I mean my first vote at 16 was for the far right solely based on what my mother told me of the world. Still ashamed of that. Took me until 21 though to get out of that, so 18 would‘ve been no different.
That is why to me 16 is fine, a lot of young people are concerned about climate change for example which old people give less of a fuck about, just feels off to me to not let them express that in a vote.
everybody is easy to manipulate without education
True, but it isn't solely that. I had a close family member that was a very educated chemist. Got corrupted by Fox News and eventually "red pill" communities.
he needs political education
Is that actually the case? What do you base that on?
I can see it for younger than 16. But I'm skeptical 16 is much different from 18 or 21. Maybe no different from even older.
It's solely dependent on the person and their experiences. I know I personally aged a lot from 16 to 18, but some people mature a little faster, some a little slower. Some not at all.
I think 18 is a decent starting cap, but for some people 16 is their 18, and for some it's their 14 or even 13. So it's hard to say.
The manipulation comment is based on my own experiences with teens I've known, so it's subject to bias.
Young voters may to manipulate by others but they are also less set in their ways. I'd say that older people are being manipulated by their past selves. After all that would explain a lot of irrationality regarding necessary changes to deal with climate change and other issues that won't go away.