Are youngsters brainwashed?

There is an unproven theory that youngsters are more likely to vote for Britain to remain in the EU than older folk are. Is this a result of pro-EU 'brainwashing' in school whereas older folk are more likely to be educated in the university of life?

I can't say that there was any pro-EU brainwashing taking place during my time at school apart from a comment by a naive languages teacher about the benefits of the Euro are the savings made by not having to exchange the cash of one European country for another.

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Reply 1

Davij038

We're all brainwashed.

Reply 2

scrotgrot

No, we are not taught about the EU, it is not mentioned, and I went to school under Blair who was our most EU-loving leader ever. I am a politically engaged Europhile who studied European languages and it is only recently during this referendum, and I suppose during the Tories' strident announcements about withdrawing from the Convention on Human Rights etc, that I have learnt anything at all about the functioning of the EU.

It is also since that time that I have begun to appreciate just how much the EU has done to protect us against successive, but especially Conservative, British governments; just how good a deal Britain gets from the EU with all the special snowflake opt-outs; and generally how desperately important it is for us to Remain.

Reply 3

Ecover

In school we were told barely anything about politics- not until I studied politics at a level did I really learn anything at all about the political system, and even then we barely touched on the EU. I suppose a lack of education is in itself brain washing- you can't challenge something you don't understand, and it's not in the interests of the conservatives to engage anyone under the age of 60 in politics.

Reply 4

illegaltobepoor

To be honest the EU has its badge of funding every where in Colleges across the UK. Majority of students think the EU funds their college placements when actually its the Tax Payer.

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Reply 5

username1799249

Original post by illegaltobepoor

To be honest the EU has its badge of funding every where in Colleges across the UK. Majority of students think the EU funds their college placements when actually its the Tax Payer.

e

True. But the EU does provide grants for scientific research.

Reply 6

Arran90

Original post by Ecover

There was an O Level called British Constitution that provided a basic overview of politics and the workings of the government. Sadly it did not survive into the GCSE era. I have the course textbook by Kobrin and Scott. There is a chapter that includes information about the EU.

Was the subject axed by the Thatcher government deliberately to create future generations who are politically ignorant?

Reply 7

TaipeiGhost

Yes

Youngsters lack the intelligence and life experience to come to decisions on their own. If Kim Kardashian came out in favour of Remain it would somehow influence a bunch of todays idiot youth to vote to stay.

The voting age should be raised to 25. I think by that age you've learnt enough, know enough and experienced enough to make up your own decisions in life.

Reply 8

fallen_acorns

Not brainwashed no..

But its easily understandable when you consider:

Young people have a huge tendancy to be idealistic. Its why many many more are left-wing then right wing. They still look at the best in everything, and see perfect scenarios.

They have (mostly) not had the same hard life experiances that have turned adults into cynical and self-serving.

Young peoples interests are everyones interests.. they have very little self-interest when it comes to politics, as they have very little self to protect. They have no family to support, no job, live off the state or their parents, or both (in the majority) and as a result, are much more generous with their ideals.

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As you get older all this changes.. you become much more self-serving. You have a family who depend on you, and who you care much much more about then anyone else (although young people have parents, the responsibility is not there in the same way). You have a job, a house, a car, income, savings, a huge burden of responsibility and a pride in doing so.

Its easy to see this with europe. A young person sees what is best for everyone, an ideal united europe, an escape from a tory goverment they hate mostly because its the accepted norm for a young person to hate the torys..Ofcourse this hardly works as the EU tends to lean more towards the right then the torys themselves.. They see immigration as a good thing, migrant crisis is important, we should help everyone, and everyone benifits being inside the EU.

An older person with their more self-serving eyes sees people wanting to take something that is theirs.. take their nice country, fill it with people they dont care about, and dont want here. They see their money going away to other countries that they dont care about, and they see a system where they dont have complete control. Something young people dont care about, as they have never had complete control over their lives (not at uni or less), but for an older person is very important.

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Of course all of this goes out the window when it comes to other lines of thought, the economy, for example, which can easily over ride gut feelings for both young and old. But the clear differnce in thinking is observable as a general pattern from young to old, and fits nicely with voting demographics in the referendum.

Reply 9

fallen_acorns

Original post by TaipeiGhost

Yes

The voting age should be raised to 25. I think by that age you've learnt enough, know enough and experienced enough to make up your own decisions in life.

I lean towards agreeing with this.

Spoiler

Reply 10

username1204031

Brainwashed?

"£350 million to the EU..." - lie

"Turkey is joining the EU..." - lie

"EU controls our borders" - lie

"EU is undemocratic" - lie

And so on. I think the people that are brainwashed are the ones that are incessantly repeating a list of statements that are all categorically wrong, while not having a single rational, original thought. The people who formed their entire decision on what they read in the tabloids and what they heard on Facebook.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 11

inhuman

Original post by fallen_acorns

I lean towards agreeing with this.

Spoiler

How about we restrict the voting right to those that have never been to prison, to those that have gone to university, etc.? Surely anyone who has been to prison has no maturity and those that haven't gone to uni don't have the intellectual capacity to make informed decisions?

Reply 12

username1204031

Original post by inhuman

If we restricted voting to people that have been to university, the Remain vote would be winning 80:20. Obviously all the brainwashing they do in universities. Can't be having that. If anything, we should ban graduates from voting.

Reply 13

Tempest II

I really don't think the schooling system is directly linked to younger voters preferring the EU.

There's plenty of reports out there of how the teaching profession tends to be more left wing although I'm not actually sure if that actually leads to pupils/students being more left because of it. I found that teachers usually were relatively neutral at least up until Sixth Form. Even then, I wouldn't say they pushed their beliefs onto us - instead it was more to create debate.
I'm sure you'll also find some of the loonier individuals/pressure groups believe the school system is too capitalist - again I don't see that as being the case either.

Reply 14

jgjog3

no not brainwashed... Just scared of American style capitalism which will ensue if we leave the EU. There will be significantly less jobs for the first few years until the UK picks itself up again. People voting out I think are the ones that are brain washed, they do it out of duty to restore the old glory of 1800s Britain. That's brain washing for you.

Reply 15

jgjog3

Original post by TaipeiGhost

Fam! people that young can't vote!

Reply 16

starry x

yeah i agree with ecover failure to educate minds equates to suppression of voice and in turn a subservient workforce . all really links back to the english system being based on a capitalist model (which i think has also already been mentioned)

Reply 17

jgjog3

Original post by scrotgrot

Yes I wholeheartedly agree with you! If we leave the EU we the people will be totally exposed to their whim. They'll do with us as they wish, and the poor will suffer the most.

Reply 18

Elivercury

I'd argue it is because youngsters are more outward looking. Many are planning to move and live abroad, temporarily if not permanently, and generally feel more connected with the wider world. On the other hand, older people tend to want Britain to go back to how it was 20-40 years ago, back when they were younger and doing much better than they are now - regardless of the fact this is impossible and we can only move forward.

Reply 19

Iknowbest

Ohh I need to reply to this one!

Original post by JordanL_

Brainwashed?

"£350 million to the EU..." - lie - In the website below the £350 million figure is shown. So the figure is not a lie.. but to say that Britain would have £350 million available to spend is debatable. Just because we get money back from the EU in rebates.. (a pointless and illogical method) or in other ways.. we still get billed for £350 million! Money that we could spend on anything else..
https://fullfact.org/europe/our-eu-membership-fee-55-million/

"Turkey is joining the EU..." - lie - Let's just say they are trying extremely hard to join!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union

"EU controls our borders" - lie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Regulation

"EU is undemocratic" -
the European Parliament elected Jean-Claude Juncker in a secret ballot on 15 July as President of the new European Commission to take office on 1 November 2014 for a five year term.

SECRET BALLOT?????

And so on. I think the people that are brainwashed are the ones that are incessantly repeating a list of statements that are all categorically wrong, while not having a single rational, original thought. The people who formed their entire decision on what they read in the tabloids and what they heard on Facebook.