The issue of youth rights is evolving into a major debate on a similar scale to that of women’s rights. Youth as a social category separate from children and adults is a relatively recent phenomenon. Unlike women, who are biologically different from men, the youth category is one that has been created to fit what was formerly an ambiguous space of time where a child grew into an adult.

Philosophers, scientists, and writers alike have been speculating about the meaning, motivation and consequences of youth for centuries. There have been certain qualities constantly attributed to youth such as passion, aggression, and impetuousness, which have been viewed in both negative and positive lights.

The adolescent is not yet fully understood. Speculation about the young adult brain has led to debate about whether adolescents are biologically ready to make tough decisions. For this reason there is much debate about the role of youth in society. Experts are in disagreement as to whether the qualities of youth can be beneficial for politics, or detrimental.

Significant political events caused youth to rally together and fight for their own rights and beliefs, discounting any theories about their inability to process complex political matters. Indeed, youth have effected significant change in world politics. However, their real participation in decision-making continues to be denied. They are accorded a kind of superficial version of rights and responsibilities that essentially amounts to tokenism.

Youth are often stereotyped as being lazy and self-absorbed. This adultism that pervades politics distances them from the decision-making sphere and can drive them to take on the stereotypes they are accorded. The cycle is self-perpetuating. This has the effect of decreasing youth political participation. This blog will look at the extent to which youth are disengaged from the formal political arena and the reasons why the gap is widening.

I hope to make the phase of adolescence seem clearer and more defined, for it is only through this understanding that we can begin true discourse on the topic.