Those too young to vote but politically active should put energy into volunteering and campaigning
Pre-voting-age teens joining social media trends #milifandom and the #cameronettes should put their political enthusiasm into helping charities, a leading third sector body has said.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) says that young people are increasingly turning to non-traditional ways of engagement to make a difference and this momentum should be harnessed to benefit both young people and charities alike.
It comes as Ed Miliband developed an unlikely fanbase of smitten teenage girls, after a 17-year-old student declared her admiration for the Labour leader on Twitter and prompted a flood of replies from other young women.
A student, known only as Abby, caused a Twitter storm after declaring herself leader of the #milifandom – a group of enthusiastic Ed Miliband admirers.
Fandoms are usually reserved for the likes of Justin Bieber and One Direction – bands or individuals who are the subject of teenage crushes.
Even though under 18s can't vote - young people are more skilled than any other generation at getting voices heard
An example of online #Milifandom 'art'
The hashtag #milifandom has been used more than 28,000 times in the past 24 hours. A counter-surge by Conservative supporters using the tag #cameronettes, attracted around 8,000 tweets.
Hannah Terrey, head of policy and campaigns at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “We've seen a sudden explosion of political interest among younger teenagers this week on social media, playing into the ongoing debate around lowering the voting age in the UK.
“But as these new hashtags have proven, even though under 18s can't vote in this election, today's young people are more skilled than any other generation at getting their voices heard, and have a huge influence on social media."
Young people are increasingly likely to see charities and social enterprises as the most effective agents for social change, according to Demos, and a CAF study showed two-thirds of teachers believe that the current generation of young people is more concerned with social issues than those in the past.
"Charities are often the instigators of some of the policy ideas we hear debated day to day by politicians, and have a huge amount of influence in shaping manifestos and holding the government to account,” added Terrey.
“They present a fantastic opportunity for young activists to use their passion and power to do a great deal of good, raise awareness and rally support for vital social issues, and have long been called the nursery schools of democracy.”
