With millennials dominating the workforce and Generation Z slowly creeping their way up the social ladder, it’s obvious that these age demographics are some of the most active and influential in our society.
Historically, presidential candidates, and other political candidates as well have had issues connecting with younger age demographics, as they tend to be middle-aged, if not elderly by the time they run for office. As a result, more and more recently, we’ve seen a push towards appealing to these younger demographics, as they can very well cause or influence the outcome of an election regardless of other voting demographics.
President Biden is a prime example of this, using his long-standing public image as a senator and vice president to former president Barack Obama to hone in on his familiarity and trust among the public, particularly with the younger generation that has become accustomed to seeing him in office for the majority of their childhood and adolescence.
Building from this, Biden prioritized platform issues for this constituency group (which has grown considerably in size since 2020), knowing that they would provide a strong swing in his favor if these promises were fulfilled.
Issues such as lowering student loan interest rates or pursuing loan forgiveness, advocating for bodily autonomy for women amidst the death and replacement of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on SCOTUS, pushing for stricter environmental regulations on a national and global scale, and playing a part in the ceasing of violence in Gaza from Israeli forces are all hot-button issues that Biden has been tasked with handling over the last several years in office.
The problem is, his actions just aren’t cutting it.
With the world at their fingertips through mobile devices, social media platforms, and the internet, Millennials and Generation Z have had a front-row view to the shortcomings of Biden’s administration, allowing for the issues closest to them, and the values and real-life implications attached, to be swept under the rug, incomplete, or completely forgotten about.
With the 2024 election brewing, these actions (and inactions) will not be forgotten by the 41 million newly-eligible Generation Z voters preparing to speak their mind and vote their voice this fall.
If Biden stands a chance for another four years in office, his administration will have to do some serious reflection on the issues that matter closest to home for the most influential, observant generation to date.
