Since early November, the Shorenstein Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government has tracked public interest in the campaign through a weekly national survey of approximately 1000 respondents. The findings indicate that young adults are only half as likely as those over 30 to be paying close attention to the campaign. They are also much less likely to be thinking about the campaign and talking about it with others. Young adults are attuned to some aspects of American life. But election news is not receiving their attention.
Young adults are traditionally less involved with politics due to their life circumstances.
But there is growing evidence that today's young people are even less politically interested than those of previous generations. The steepest decline in voter turnout over the past 25 years has been among the youngest adults. They are unexcited and uninspired by the parties and the candidates. No vision or visionary seems to move them, except perhaps a desire to share in the economic expansion. Young people are somewhat more likely to believe that the campaign won't affect their lives very much.