Being 16 is all about your curiosity of the world waiting upon you. Wisdom, selflessness and an understanding all at your fingertips. However, these traits are only to be learnt through the mistakes innocently committed as a teenager. At 16 it is a simple truth that you are too young to be indoctrinated by government policies and political issues, besides; you have far more important things to be doing with your valuable time as a teenager.

 


It has been a keen topic in the recent discussion of politicians lately, whether 16 year olds should be allowed to vote or not. At 16 you’re legally allowed to join the army and get married, but only with parental consent. Teenagers’ needs for freedom and independence are successfully recognised but unfortunately only applied if you’re given the permission.  If the government do not think 16 year olds are responsible enough to make a decision that affects only them by themselves, then how do they think them responsible enough to make a decision that affects the whole country? The age at which people are considered “adult” is generally 18 rather than 16, thus I see no reason why 16 year olds should be allowed to vote.

 


Currently, the youngest age at which you are allowed to vote is 18. However, you would hardly be aware of this as turnouts are so low amongst 18- 24 year old. In the 2005 general election, just 44% of 18-24 year olds voted. I fail to see how 16-17 year olds would make a major difference, seeing as 18-24 year olds have evidently shown that young people take little interest in the elections. A group of 16 year olds were asked whether they thought the age to vote should be lowered and only half of them thought that it should be. The other half recognised that they were too young to make such an important decision.

 


16 year olds are very easily influenced by propaganda, the opinion of public figures and what the majority of society thinks. Rihanna says Monster Raving Looney party and before you know it were going down waterslides to get to work.

 


For 16 year olds it is illegal to buy cigarettes and alcohol, to drive a car and to get a credit card or mortgage. Presently, they cannot do such things because of age limits put in place by the government. Therefore if they were given the right to vote, would they not just vote for the party that offered them a lower age limit on these restrictions? It is only natural to vote for what is going to benefit you most.

 


Reducing the age limit of voting could put the country at a serious disadvantage. With lack of an education on political issues, through no fault of their own, immature and uneducated votes could be made, offering a party that can make little promises for England. 

 


At 16, teenagers are still maturing and have not yet learnt enough through their education and personal experiences to make fully informed decisions. To give them the right to vote before they are provided with an education of politics is a ludicrous concept. It is important that they are given an understanding of how the country operates and how to judge what policies will be beneficial to them and the country, before they make an informed decision on who to vote for.
Give 16 year olds the right to vote and stand back and watch as exhausted politicians are voted out of office to be replaced by idealised figures such as Dizzee Rascal or Lady Gaga.