Don’t mock young people for caring about their future

Generation 75 per cent

8 years ago

The results of the Brexit vote announced in the early hours of Friday morning came as a shock to the European as well as the international community. With polls predicting a remain majority, hearts sank when the results declared we’d decided to leave the EU, particularly amongst the young.

Naturally, many young people took to social media to voice their anger and upset towards the 51.9 per cent that had thrown the chess pieces of their future into the air. An overwhelming 75 per cent of young people between the ages of 18 -25 voted to remain in the EU, however their voices went unheard whilst the xenophobic rhetoric that drove many to vote leave became prominent in the political sphere.

Farewell old friend

However, many who voiced their concerns for the future found themselves faced with comments such as, “Stop whining” and “everyone on my timeline suddenly cares about politics”.

And why shouldn’t they? We’ve been denied free movement through Europe, a position in one of biggest single markets in the world and the security the EU can provide. Many young people now face the prospect of even more uncertainty after graduation and most certainly unemployment. A vote that was seen as democratic and fair has violently cast out the young demographic and ignored our voices on a piece of legislation that, if passed, we will live with for the longest. Universities will have changes made to their funding that could potentially raise tuition fees, leaving us with more debt. If that isn’t enough to worry about, the pound plummeted to record lows not seen since 1985, with little growth since the results were announced, causing markets across the world to crash and financial worries we weren’t expecting to have to deal with. All of this for a result we didn’t choose.

Young people were outvoted by older age groups, leading to the unexpected Leave result

Most of all, in a time of fear and terror, the UK has voted to exclude itself rather than unite and work together with the EU. It is shameful to think tolerance has taken a backseat rather than being a driving force for a better future. As racially motivated crimes soar and many no longer feel welcome in the UK, we can only feel disheartened to think that we are being represented to the world this way. This in not the UK we recognise and definitely not one we want to live in.

How can we feel reassured about our future when turmoil within politics such as attempts by some members in the shadow cabinet to oust Jeremy Corbyn, a firm favourite amongst young voters, now further threatens representation of young people. We’re being forgotten in the decision making process and we have a right to use any platform we can to voice our concerns.

The UK enters an unknown future which will most likely be filled with more fear, more division and less certainty, so don’t tell us to grow up and accept it, let us lament the future we’ll never have all because of a decision we didn’t choose.

Nadia Saeed

Opinion
YORK