Hi ,
New research from Channel 4 has made headlines today saying that Gen Z (people aged 13-27) have lost faith in democracy or would prefer a dictatorship. Polling finds that 52% of young people think the UK would be better under a strong leader “who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”, while one third believe the army would do a better job in charge and 47% agree that "the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution."
These headlines are a little excitable, in our considered opinion – the question wording doesn't quite line up with young people demanding dictatorship, and while young people support radical change in larger numbers, it's just as notable that 33% of those aged 45-65 also agreed with the idea of radical change through a revolution.
However, the findings are in line with what the evidence has told us for years: people are radically discontented with our system, especially young people, and are supporting more and more radical alternatives to it. This is a worldwide phenomenon; young people have been key supporters of populist, far right, and challenger movements across Europe and the Anglosphere.
It also fits with a lot of other indicators for young people. A new study from UCL has found a growing shortage of mental healthcare for young people, with a 65% increase in mental health admissions and an "alarming deterioration in the mental health and wellbeing" of young people. Meanwhile, new research into young peoples' careers from the Sutton Trust has found a growing gap between middle- and working-class graduates as employers continue to exploit and underpay young people at the start of their careers. Being exploited and made unwell by our system has left young people more anxious and distrustful: 70% of young people believe government leaders, business leaders, journalists and reports purposely mislead people, according to research this month from the Edelman Trust Institute (PDF). and growing numbers support direct action.
It's important to distinguish distrust from radicalisation. There's a lot of good reasons for young people to believe political leaders or journalists may lie to them. For example, the records of them lying. But there is clearly strong polarisation and radicalisation occurring.
Radicalisation isn't inevitable, and that radicalisation being predominantly right wing isn't inevitable; it's the product of our system choosing, time and time again, to prevent moderate reform, let alone the radical changes required to face the crises we're in. It's unsurprising that, watching police infiltration, criminalisation, and prosecutions of protest movements, young people would conclude our system simply does not protect them. |
