Don't blame us for political apathy

So, it's time to blame the lack of voters from Generation Z on the government. Apparently, despite bulging marketing budgets, they haven't promoted the registration process properly among young people, with more than half of 18 to 24-year-olds not registered to vote.  

Personally, the thought of walking into a polling station, tattooed up to my neck, piercings all over my face and wearing my comfortable-yet-dreaded-by-the-government "hoody" to be judged and looked down upon is cringeworthy. Well, I assume that's what happens – I've never voted before. And it's one of the reasons I probably won't vote. That and the fact that, half of the time, I can't even understand what politicians are going on about.

I'd guess it's the same for a majority of young people today who are also unaware of where to turn in order to actually comprehend what voting means and what the parties are promising; a political correspondent on a news channel beginning their report with "41% of local authorities' electoral registration officers …" means losing your average teenager in seconds.

Should you take time out to investigate the politicians on offer, a quick Google search leads to 15-page speeches (using language only the majority of Oxford University students probably understand) and, you've guessed it, apathy kicks right back in.

You may prefer to call it lazy – and that's exactly what it is. But given how young people consume media, it should be pretty obvious that anything involving too much in-depth research and analysis is a no-go for engaging young people in politics. To young people, having a government that doesn't know how to engage with us (while nothing new), is of no comfort.

I'll give the officials charged with overseeing the electoral register some information for free: no matter how much you continue to promote the need for young people to start voting, you're going to hit a brick wall. Why? Because you're doing it all in the wrong way. Take down your billboards, give up the fancy speeches and get to the core of what young people are engaged with these days. Whether it's music, EastEnders or sport – use it. If you've got the balls (Ed), brief rapper 50 Cent to talk to young people about the importance of voting in a way they can understand.

Will lowering the voting age to 16 help? No. Your beloved statistics will be even worse – what makes anyone think that if 17- to 24-year-olds don't fully understand politics, a 16-year-old will? What you should be doing is ensuring the education system is equipped to the fullest and that this generation are having politics slapped into the back of their heads from primary school days.

Other organisations have tried a non-conformist approach and proved it works. In my role as street team coordinator and music editor of Ctrl.Alt.Shift, a global and social justice movement for 18- to 25-year-olds that uses popular culture to bring about engagement, I've seen first-hand how to empower a typically apathetic group of young people. A recent rave thrown to raise money for Haiti raised more than £10,000, with 3,000 clubbers signing up to the website to find out what else they could do to tackle poverty. And all because the likes of Ms Dynamite and Sway took to the mic and asked them to get involved.