It really depends on the social circle. My 20 yo S has not missed a vote since turning 18. Most of his friends vote and volunteer politically too. My D and her friends are shaping up to be the same once they turn 18.
3 Likes
I agree off-year elections do have pathetic turnouts in the US.
Presidential year elections are better: in 2020, 51.4% of 18-24 year olds voted.
4 Likes
Yes, that was a historic high, but sadly unlikely to be repeated. Everyone from March for our Lives to Taylor Swift tried to get out that vote and it helped. Not happening this time.
Yes, there are always anecdotes about the kids who vote. But the stats say far too few do so.
Getting a tattoo is somehow correlated with being depressed and needing a man? Huh?
3 Likes
Oh no, not tattoos. If only they realized they needed men (and could nab them) they could be saved from all the tattoos. 
My kids grew up in what is called a swing state. Both vote in presidential elections.
One of my kids SO grew up in a state that is dominated by one party. They arenât registered and I donât think have ever voted.
I would say that my husbandâs and my political affiliation has moved the same as @FallGirl and @kelsmom. We like to say we are fiscally conservative, socially liberal.
For which I am very happy.
3 Likes
19 year old D has voted as soon as she turned 18, so do her college friends. 16 year old S is planning to register to vote as soon as he turns 18 as well. We live in a state where their votes donât count as the state has pretty much one party rule.
I applaud them for still going out and voting.
6 Likes
Wow! Maybe having grown up knowing that my grandmother could not vote when she was young left a big impression on me. I consider voting both a duty and a privilege which has been/is denied to many.
I am almost 67 and have voted in every election I have been able to vote in. After almost 50 years of voting, I have never once voted for a candidate with whom I agree 100%. But I would tell those young people they need to look at the issues, decide what is important to them and find the best option.
12 Likes
They are in one party state so their vote makes no difference
You can still influence outcomes in primaries. There are also local elections, school board elections, ballot issues, and a lot of ways one can make a difference by voting. I would not want to encourage such a shortsighted stance.
12 Likes
Time to get out the 
3 Likes
Another example of menâs attitudes lagging behind womenâs desire to be treated equally: Australian TV news channel sparks outrage for editing photo of lawmaker who said her "body and outfit" were photoshopped - CBS News. And the incident is framed as some automatic AI thing that just happened. Oopsy. Guess what? Women simply refuse to put up with that kind of thing anymore. While many men agree with women, too many donât see the problem. My D would never want to be with a man like that.
9 Likes
I agree that men can be better. But women are not perfect either and I know young men who have opted out of the dating/marriage game just like some young women⊠When it comes down to it, men and women need each other. I always get the feeling that people just want to assign blame to men when what is happening is much more complex and needs both men and women to listen to one another.
One thing that I have heard recently mentioned by a young man is what he called a âsense of entitlementâ by the young women he encountered to be treated âlike a princessâ, but these young women had no urge to reciprocate caring in even simple ways. I think the divide goes much deeper than just politics or patriarchal society talking points.
12 Likes
My son has told me about the liberated women on campus who believe in equality but expect, without any sense of irony, for the men to pay for dates. Certainly not a majority, but a surprising fraction.
An early lesson to my daughter was to always split the costs.
7 Likes
Somewhat serious questionâŠif the men going on these dates are âtraditional/ conservativeâ, donât they go into these dates expecting to pay?
Separately, Iâve seen some of the online chatter from both men and womenâŠand I donât see very many men who revere âtraditionâ wanting to be the sole breadwinner. Instead they often say things like:
-
I donât want a gold digger.
-
I want my spouse to take care of the house, the kids, keep herself up physically and also work to help with bills.
With the first common comment, if you want to be traditional, who do you think will be responsible for making the money??
With the second common comment - what exactly are you bringing to the relationship to make it attractive to this potential spouse? Sounds like she gets all the disadvantages of being a single parent with the added âbonusâ of an at-home supervisor giving feedback on her housekeeping skills, childrearing methods and personal grooming?
6 Likes
That might be a subject for another conversation but many young women prefer men to pay for meals. Women who take care of themselves donât eat much so paying for their salad will not break the bank. Woman dating expenses are much higher between regular maintenance that runs in hundreds of dollars per month and ride share expenses. I have son and daughter. My son always paid for his dates. My DD was in relationship with a split the bill guy until recently and would never date this type again. She makes more money then all guys she dated so itâs not about the money but not splitting the bill shows her generosity that goes much further then just money.
LOL
14 Likes
Whatâs the âgenerosityâ that is reciprocated by the woman in this situation?
2 Likes
Either each pays for what they had ⊠OR (once dating is established) one pays for both but each in turn? Because someone who eats a salad when the date has a filet mignon steak dinner is unlikely to consider that splitting the bill is fair. 
3 Likes
Emotional generosity. Willingness to make partner happy by going extra mile.
1 Like