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And if the faces on our screens need to change, then so too should the faces on the benches of Parliament and in council chambers across the country. Let the young people stand, to speak up for their peers. I want to see teenage councillors and eventually teenage MPs ready to speak out when young people are unfairly demonised by the media that trades on the prejudices of older people.
Let’s prepare young people for those roles – or jobs in areas like teaching or the law – with debating societies
in every school, starting in the last years in primary school. Think what debating skills could do to unlock the potential of so many youngsters, as well as boosting speaking and negotiation skills.
Let’s encourage parents to take more interest in politics too, encourage discussing issues at the dinner table or around the TV. Parents crucially need to understand that if they badmouth or switch off around politics and current affairs, that sends out a very negative message to the kids. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard young people say ‘politicians are all the same, they’re only in it for themselves.’ It’s a sweeping statement and a cliché, too often trotted out by parents who came to that conclusion from the media.
Back to the media. We can do a lot to change perceptions of politics if we choose. Actually, it’s more than a choice, it’s a duty. If media outlets want to reflect the totality of everyday life, the missing element at the moment is politics for young people. Where are the political shows aimed at the young?
Let’s see some produced to appeal to young people. Use sharp editing and music, humour and all the rest of it, but first and foremost, appeal to the sense of social justice that exists in every young person. Let’s have phone-ins and Question Time style debates. Let’s use TV, radio and the web to allow young people their own say in putting the world to rights.
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