Should the voting age be 16?

Young people are easily influenced and manipulated

Question: Should the voting age be 16?
Position‹3 of 3: No, the age requirement should be raised
Argument‹4 of 4: Young people are easily influenced and manipulated

As seen in social media and other forms of online content, young people can too easily be taken advantage of to be entrusted with this right.

The argument

We live in a world full of ads, influencers, and promotions. In such a "razzle dazzle" society, it's easy to see how easily manipulated the younger generation is. Harvard Magazine stated that the impact of technology "leaves teens easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behavior". Therefore, they are much more likely to vote based on ads, who celebrities picked, and even just who their parents selected.

Premises

[P1]Young people live in a world of ads, influencers and promotions that makes them easily manipulated. [P2] Research cited by Harvard Magazine finds technology leaves teens easily influenced and prone to impulsive behaviour. [P3] They are therefore more likely to vote based on ads, celebrities or their parents' choices rather than their own judgement. [C] Therefore, because young people are easily influenced and manipulated, the voting age should be raised, not lowered.

Counter-arguments

Although it may be true that many teens are easily influenced, they are able to see and discover many different aspects of politics through social media and people they know and see everyday. By being involved in politics early, they can learn and grow from mistakes they make in voting early on in order to find their political stance sooner rather than later.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Young minds are not easily influenced. [Rejecting P2] Education about the votes also comes through technology.