Reflect on youth apathy towards politics. Draw on examples from China, the US and Singapore in your reflections.
Politics. Mention the very word, and vivid images surface in our minds; boring old men constantly squabbling over the same old issues, supplemented by a dazzling assortment of blatant lies and underhanded tactics. To some, politics is an art; to others, politics is an ugly exhibition of the struggle for power. But to many youth, politics is virtually non-existent. The degrees of political apathy among youth vary throughout the world, with differences in culture, upbringing and political system.
The fundamental, internal reason for the disinterest in politics prevalent among youth is, in my opinion, the perceptions of politics and politicians to these youth. I would herein like to introduce 2 similar, yet contrasting concepts; one, that youth shun politics for fear of association with the negative connotations of politics and two, that youth shun politics because they are sick and tired of the political system itself. It is obvious that the former reason is an extremely superficial one that should be condemned - youth of today do not want to be associated with the mundane image of politicians. The general image of politics as a whole is extremely unappealing to the youth population. Old, balding men in uncomfortable suits quarreling with other old, balding men in even more uncomfortable suits hardly fits the image of ‘cool’, which is such an important element in the youth’s self-image today. Modern, ultra-hip youth want to be attractive. They want their friends to view them as cool and trendy people who are living their lives to the fullest, and getting involved in politics definitely would not elevate their social status amongst their peers.
In this respect,I feel that it is disheartening that youth have such a disdainful neglect of politics just because of its mundane image, that the youth of today forsake vital matters of their country for their status among their circle of friends. However, if youth shun politics due to the partisan and treacherous nature of the political system, it is a different case altogether. The very fact that they are able to realize the flaws in the workings of the political system is a testament to their political knowledge. Ironically, they stay away from politics not because of various superficial reasons, but because they actually have a deep understanding of the politics and are able to see the petty and unethical tactics politicians employ; they are therefore turned away by the fundamental flaws in the political system. The distinction between the two types of youth are clear; one is concerned with the negative effect of association with politics would have on their social status and consequently steer clear of politics, while the other is politically savvy but choose to stay away due to their disdain for the deceitful nature of the political system.
However, what I feel is the most disturbing trend among politically apathetic youth, especially in China, is their tendency to use various excuses to cover up their self-centeredness which ultimately culminates in a lack of involvement in politics. In the article “China’s ME Generation” by Simon Elegant, many attributed their political inactiveness to a plethora of reasons such as government restrictions and fear of persecution. For instance, some proclaim that they are afraid of government persecution should they get involved in politics, which are backed by many horror stories their parents told them about political events such as the Great Leap Forward and the Tiananmen Incident. Others say that their involvement in politics might destabilize China and hinder her economic growth. However, if we compare the above to the public demonstration by hundreds of young dog owners in Beijing, a stark contrast is formed. These youth care more about the size of the dogs they can own than issues of free speech and human rights. That public demonstration also highlighted an issue that is somewhat contradictory to the perception of Chinese citizens as slaves of the Communist Party - that the youth have the courage to go against authority and the ability to organize mass demonstrations to protest against government ruling, but only, and only, when their immediate interests are under threat.
They claim that they are repressed by the government, they claim that political freedom would bring about instability and hinder China’s economy,yet they took to the streets to demand for allowance for taller pets. Through this event, we can see that majority of the reasons Chinese youth attributed to their lack of political involvement becomes invalid and come across as mere excuses for their self-centeredness; if they can risk government persecution for matters as trivial as pet size, why can’t they risk government persecution for issues much more important to their country? Furthermore, weren’t thousands of students involved in the Tiananmen Incident to protest against the Gang of Four’s limit on the period of public mourning on Premier Zhou Enlai’s death? These youth faced much bigger risk than present day youth, and yet they were proactive in making their opinions heard. Herein lies the difference between the ME generation and the youth of the past; the ME generation is driven by self-interest, while the Chinese youth of the past are driven by progress for their country. Still, I feel that we cannot blame the Chinese youth entirely, since they are in essence products of governmental policies. Policies such as the one-child policy have spawned a new breed of spoiled youth, who are only interested in things that bring them personal gain.
Therefore, I feel that China’s ME generation’s self-centeredness, coupled with the bad image of politicians are 2 of the most important reasons for political apathy amongst Chinese youth today.
The Chinese youth’s attitude towards politics can also be compared with that of the Singaporean youth. Both countries share remarkable similarities, being governed by a single party for long periods of time. The youth in both countries possess the same mentality as well; as long as the government provides us with good living conditions and material comforts, we do not need to bother about politics. Leave that to the lawmakers.
However, I feel that the youth in the U.S. are quite politically active. Yes, the readings said that many of them failed their civics education tests. However, this does not mean necessarily mean that they are politically apathetic. Claiming that U.S youth are politically inactive on the sole basis of their tests scores is analogous to claiming that one does not like music simply because he/she failed a music theory test. Having a poor understanding on the basic values of democracy does not directly correlate to lack of political interest and involvement. For instance, many youth vote during the presidential elections. More recently, American youths turned out in droves to support Barack Obama’s campaign. Is that not testament enough to their involvement in politics? With the protection bestowed upon them by the First Amendment, American youths are able to state their dissatisfactions without worry, leading to a much more politically active environment than China overall. Still, the American youth have started to take their two-century-old democracy for granted, and this is a alarming trend that has to be stopped.
To conclude this somewhat lengthy journal, this week’s tutorial has heightened my understanding on the causes of political apathy amongst youth all over the world. Upon deeper reflection, I realized that in this pragmatic, modern society, politics are often never cared about unless they cross with the youth’s personal interests. I learnt that the degree of political apathy in different countries with different government ideologies are different, but most of the reasons stem from complacency as youth become satisfied with the material comforts brought by current political models and do not seek progress. Of course, political activeness in the U.S is much higher than that of China, due to their solid democratic foundations which ensure protection of freedom of speech. Having analyzed and studied the readings, I have developed a significantly improved understanding of the political apathy amongst youth today, and this would definitely be helpful in future bi-cultural studies.
The point that the youth are keeping a distance from politics because they do not want to be associated with the old, mundane politicians is interesting. However, this only applies to a certain group of people, and it seems to me less likely nowadays due to Obama’s rise to presidency, which brought ‘a breath of fresh air’ to politics. Obama is definitely a cool guy in the eyes of the American youth. Thus Obama’s presidency itself should have garnered attention from the youth to focus more on politics and even helped him during his election to become president, just because he was cool and hip. Therefore I do not feel that this point still stands in America (or even other parts of the world influenced) as the biggest politician of the USA erases it.
ReplyDeleteI agree strongly with Xichen that the youth are merely giving excuses for their self-centeredness; as they are risking government persecution for matters as trivial as pet size, and might as well do so for matters that really matter for their country. There are so many examples of the Chinese youths protesting, about pet size, insufficient pay, and etcetera. It simply does not make sense to say that they are afraid of the government if they raise political issues up. Some may argue that the Government may only take action if the protests are regarding politics but I feel China’s government will face the problem with rationality, and I believe the people believe in their government enough to know that they will not be murdered if they spoke up about politics.
Hong yao
I feel that Xichen has indeed raised some pertinent points in his discussion on the political apathy of the youths, such as the failings of the political system and the dreary image politicians portray.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to his points, another reason why youths are unwilling to join politics is because of the amount of media scrutiny. In this current age of decadence we live in, youths subscribe to the notion of free love, that a man should have more than one sex partner. However, in politics, one’s every move is carefully scrutinized and analyzed by the media. Imagine the public backlash and controversy that would erupt if a politician is caught on tape having an extra marital affair. The consequences would be disastrous. Therefore, youths are unwilling to join politics because of the stifling social restrictions they would face.
I agree with Xichen that youths in China are hiding their selfishness behind excuses which result in political apathy. They state many reasons why they are unwilling to be involved, but once their personal interests are threatened, the veneer of insouciance comes off, revealing people who are willing to withstand the consequences of dissent, just to protest for the sake of their dogs, not human rights, but their pets. This exemplifies the self centeredness of this youth generation in China, who are willing to see the rural areas languish in a sea of hopelessness, doing nothing to ameliorate this situation, yet coming out in force when their personal interests are threatened. This shows that education and the teachings of parents have failed to inculcate in them correct values.
Ending off, youths also dislike the transient power politicians have. Politician’s power is not exactly based on merit, but based on the public’s opinion of you, which can sway to both extremes like a fickle wind. One wrong step and your support base vanishes. Therefore, I feel that youths prefer to work in organizations where promotions or such are based on merit and the boss’s impression instead of depending on the public to get reelected.
- Kwong Kai Sheng 4B112
"The point that the youth are keeping a distance from politics because they do not want to be associated with the old, mundane politicians is interesting. However, this only applies to a certain group of people, and it seems to me less likely nowadays due to Obama’s rise to presidency, which brought ‘a breath of fresh air’ to politics. Obama is definitely a cool guy in the eyes of the American youth. Thus Obama’s presidency itself should have garnered attention from the youth to focus more on politics and even helped him during his election to become president, just because he was cool and hip. Therefore I do not feel that this point still stands in America (or even other parts of the world influenced) as the biggest politician of the USA erases it."
ReplyDeleteHong Yao, thank you for your comments. However, I think that the paragraph you wrote quoted above exactly proves my point as valid. See, youth stay away from politics due to its boring, dull, geeky image. Certain television channels in China have live broadcasts of political meetings, and it is really not that interesting.
Therefore, when someone COOL AND HIP like Obama comes along, youth become attracted to politics not because of politics itself, but rather because Obama "brought a breath of fresh air to politics".
In essence, they shun politics when its image is nerdy; they become attracted to it when it becomes cool.
Hello Xichen 想死你了！！！！
ReplyDeleteI feel that Xi Chen has raised a few interesting points in his refection. He pointed out that youths shun from politics to avoid being associated to the old and mundane image of politicians. I believe that this is common among today's youths because they want to be viewed as "in" and living at the edge of fashion. This can be seen from the types of jobs chosen by youths. Many youths go against their parent's will to take on conventional jobs which ensure them steady income and prospect, but venture into professions like comic artist and designing, which are viewed as jobs for the new generation. Bearing in mind that today's youths are more self-centered than ever, they would definitely focus more on their personal image than the country's interest.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Xi Chen blamed youths for being self-centered and only protest if their personal interests are compromised, as opposed to their parent who were willing to stand up for the country's collective interest. I feel that this is inevitable because these two generations are living in completely different conditions. During their parent's era, China was just recovering from the Cultural Revolution and they were living in poverty. They felt that they had nothing more to lose, thus devoting all their time and energy to fight for the country's interest. However, today's China has transformed into completely different country. It's economy has improved significantly and the youths now are able to afford luxuries which seemed impossible for their parents. Youths are afraid that a revolution may cause them to lose all these luxuries which they have painfully fought for. Thus, they would not protest unnecessarily unless it directly affects their welfare.