The Political Divide Between Generations
BY SHYANN MORROW
Through examining the current political atmosphere in the U.S., individuals may take notice of an animosity between political parties that has not been present in the past. In particular, there is a notable divide between generations in political ideology, specifically between Gen Z and Baby Boomers. Historically speaking, older people and younger people typically have differing political views and behaviors, with younger generations generally taking on a more progressive stance than their older counterparts.
However, in recent years there has been a significant increase in political extremism and hostility between groups. Political debate between presidential candidates is no longer about defending a campaign, outlining goals and mostly respectful banter, but an opportunity to sling insults and defile the image of an opponent. More and more in-fighting is happening amongst families regarding political values that literally lead to estrangement and a number of individuals take strong political stances without fully understanding them.
All of these examples point to a broader issue of political divide in a time when unity is perhaps what the population needs most. Factors that might influence the difference in political ideology between older generations and younger generations include environment, technology and education. Political education, as well as technological and media literacy, are the most important tools to mending the growing political divide in the U.S..
Voting Habits
Studies on Gen Z voters have shown that they prefer more diverse candidates than older generations. Melissa Deckman and Jared McDonald conducted studies on the habits of women voters in the U.S. and the influence of the role model effect on voting, and the outcomes support the changing political attitudes among young voters. The study found that although Gen Z women who strongly align with their gender are encouraged by seeing other women run for office, they are similarly stimulated by other young or minority candidates who are not women.
This shows that the role model effect is not exclusive to women in this context, but to any individual who differs from the typical political candidates, someone who is not, as the article states, an “old white guy.” Another study done by Deckman and McDonald suggests that the different voting attitudes between Gen Z and previous generations will help minority and women candidates running for office. The study also found that Gen Z women are more politically involved than Gen Z men, which could be taken into consideration when accounting for the differences in political views between generations.
Analysis
Following the conclusions of Deckman and McDonald, it can be observed that young voters are perhaps encouraged to seek out more diverse candidates because they have been left disappointed by the typical genre of people in power. As younger voters register increasing conservative influences in society, they have become more incentivised to partake in political activism as they seek to have their own voices represented on the political stage.
Social media has allowed people to share information to potentially reach a much broader audience and is particularly popular amongst younger generations. Although this has allowed news and information to become more accessible and encouraged younger generations to become more politically involved, it also presents an issue in regards to misinformation and technological literacy. Misinformation spreads quickly on the internet and is often damaging in one way or another, especially with politics where misinformation is frequently used as a tool for political gain.
Artificial intelligence is a growing concern with the current political state as people are able to spread increasingly realistic false images and videos that make detecting misinformation more difficult, particularly for the technologically illiterate. Older generations tend to be less technologically inclined and therefore struggle more with detecting AI and misinformation, which contributes to the hostility between political parties as older generations who lean towards right-wing ideology are convinced of particularly ridiculous actions from left-leaning individuals. Younger generations are also susceptible to misinformation due to the proclivity to use social media as a news resource.
Technological Determinism
Technological determinism certainly plays a role in evolving political ideologies and the difference between Gen Z and Baby Boomers. Politics has historically been subject to much mockery, see the innumerable political cartoons on the back of any given newspaper, but social media has given way to the effective, as Jing Zeng and Crystal Abidin phrase it in their studies, “memefication” of politics.
This has allowed greater amounts of political animosity to become commonplace on the internet, further driving generations apart as they partake in mutual cancel culture. Although right-leaning individuals tend to publicly reject cancel culture, they are as guilty as left-leaning people of participating in it. When conservative public speaker Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conservatives were quick to cancel individuals joking about his death, leading to several job losses across the U.S. in a very similar manner to the cancel culture that was present in 2020. AI also presents a new issue with misinformation, with people creating false images and videos to push a specific agenda to an unsuspecting audience. Through this, people are susceptible to false narratives that can influence them politically.
Zeng and Abidin specifically focus on the “#OKBoomer” trend that was popular in 2019 and 2020. The “#OKBoomer” trend seemed to exacerbate political tensions between Gen Z and Boomers as both generations criticized the other. The trend took on a political connotation with Gen Z individuals using it as an opportunity to denounce the more conservative views held by Boomers. Lawyer Brad Shear posted a TikTok in 2020 explaining that the use of the term “OK Boomer” at a workplace qualifies as age discrimination and is grounds for potential legal action. This affirms that the phrase “Boomer” has developed a negative connotation, largely due to younger generations' more vocal methods of criticizing previous generations.
Age and Political Polarization
With the extreme polarization of the political parties in the U.S., people have become unwilling to compromise in a time when compromising is most necessary. There is a particularly large wedge being driven between generations, growing tensions between political parties making the difference in political ideology amongst Gen Z and previous generations obvious.
Technology and media literacy are an essential tool for navigating the current political climate as patterns of widespread misinformation become notable. Political education allows people to fully understand what position they are taking and understand the importance of allowing space for diverse opinions. Fostering an understanding of generational differences could be pivotal to preventing further political extremism and creating more supportive and influential communities. Bridging gaps in political awareness and education allows people to acknowledge the inherent nuance that exists with different political stances and could potentially allow for more respectful discussions of politics.