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Statistics show that young people are less likely to vote than adults. There are many reasons for the low turn out of young people in elections, including lack of interest in political affairs. Political awareness is low on the agenda in most school and colleges and this does not help to foster a culture in which young people want to vote. Issues such as taxation, pensions and health care tend to be the concerns of adults. Even when young people are affected by such issues they are less likely to be concerned with worries or issues about their long term future.

The media presentation of political issues is generally targeted at the groups with the highest voting turnout. As a group, young people tend not to have a high turnout at the elections and therefore political issues often remain as a background theme. Bringing political issues to young people is more likely to promote interest than expecting young people to just go out and become involved in politics. Polling links on You tube, MySpace and Facebook are an excellent way of bringing politics to young people in an accessible and unpressurized way. Links through the Internet fit in with the Internet culture and lifestyle of many young people and are likely to encourage participation in the voting system.

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