Millennials are getting older and their interest in politics and social issues is on the rise. As the election heats up and voters get more involved, millennials are right alongside older generations in their desire to stay informed.
Now that millennials are reaching their prime adult years, staying informed about current events has become more important. According to a study from American Press Institute, 69% of millennials get the news daily and 85% say that keeping up with the news is at least somewhat important to them. Although millennials access news differently than boomers, according to Guardian, they access news regularly to keep up-to-date with new information.
The Millennial Impact Project, a new study conducted by Achieve research agency, investigated how millennials’ cause engagement behaviors may change during an election year. It also looks at how those changes may be influenced by factors such as political affiliation, location, gender, age, race and emerging candidates. The study, currently in its second wave, has found key trends that explain how millennials view politics and social change.
Taking A Stand On Social
According to the study, a majority of millennials had posted in the past week on social media about the issues they cared about. With millennials being 2.5 times more likely to be early adopters of technology than other generations, it is no surprise that social media is playing such a large role in this election. This is, after all, a generation where a majority agree their life feels richer because they are connected through social media.
According to Adweek, politicians are stepping up their social media campaigns. It is estimated that politicians will allocate nine percent of their media budget to digital and social media in an effort to win over millennials. Social media is putting the election at the fingertips of the largest living generation in the U.S. and it is quickly changing the political game.
Social media has the potential to influence millennial voters in two specific ways:
1. Participatory politics: Participatory politics, a new political movement that encourages individual engagement and participation in ongoing debates and discussions, takes place predominately in the social realm. Millennials are more demanding that their local and national governments and politicians listen to them and want to be involved in the conversation at all times. Remember, this is co-creation generation.
2. Ongoing, real-time conversations: Twitter specifically has changed the political landscape for many politicians. Twitter is typically used as a platform for self-expression and news management, providing local and national leaders with the opportunity to gauge sentiment in real-time in at a rate that has never existed before.
Millennials have historically had low voter participation, however now that they have a space where they feel included, they are more motivated to show up to the polls.
It’s A Group Effort
A majority of respondents in the Millennial Impact Project only somewhat agreed that they were activists, however a majority believed that people like them could have an impact on policies in the U.S.
As a generation that strives to make the world a better place, it is surprising that more millennials would not consider themselves activists. However, this is on trend with their desire for peer affirmation. Millennials seek the guidance of their peers when it comes to making decisions and value their social circles’ opinions in nearly everything they do. This leads us to believe that while millennials may feel like they alone can’t make a difference, their generation or community can do so when working together.
70% of millennials said they feel more excited about doing things when their friends agree with it and 68% said they usually do not make major decisions without discussing it with people they trust. This trust in their peers draws a clear connection to the value millennials place in the group and the need for constant affirmation explains why millennials do not yet consider themselves fully committed activists.
Millennials Aren't The Only Young Generation Embracing Politics
Within the next four years, a new generation will be growing up and becoming voters. Although millennials are the hot topic of this election, Gen Zers are still expressing their interest in politics; with almost half agreeing that voting is important. Though many are still too young to vote, they are taking an interest in social issues at a younger age than many generations before them. Although they are divided on the state of healthcare and are concerned about the trustworthiness of elected officials, the majority believes that the American Dream is attainable.
As younger generations take to the polls and cast their votes, business leaders have the opportunity to learn even more about these powerful consumers and global influencers. Young voters today are overwhelmingly more accepting of diversity than generations before them and expect their political leaders to talk their language.
Gone are the days of the blind following the blind. Thanks to social media and the greater access to resources and education, millennials are the most informed generation of voters to date. This is a group that truly believes they can make a difference together and expects their leaders (in the political and business worlds) to listen to what they have to say.
Kari Porter, millennial writer at FutureCast, contributed to this post
