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More than one in five 15 to 17-year-olds said they have been asked to stop sharing their views at school Alamy Stock Photo
The Daily Poll
Do you avoid sharing political views for fear of being ‘cancelled’?
A new survey by the Economist Educational Foundation gives an insight into teenagers’ attitudes to politics in the UK.
ONE IN FIVE teenagers in the UK avoid sharing their political views for fears of being “cancelled”, according to a survey by the Economist Educational Foundation.
The report, which looks at attitudes towards lowering the UK’s voting age to 16, found that 22% of respondents aged 15 to 17 hold back from expressing their political opinions due to concerns about criticism.
More than one in five teenagers in this age group said they have been asked to stop sharing their views at school, while 21% reported experiencing this on social media.
Meanwhile, 19% said friends have asked them to stop discussing political opinions, and 16% said this happened within their own homes.
The report also suggests that concerns around ‘cancel culture’ are more prevalent among older teenagers. Those aged 15 to 17 are more likely to self-censor compared with younger respondents aged 10 to 14.
That being said, this may reflect greater awareness of ‘cancel culture’, as 22% of younger respondents said they do not understand the term compared to 6% of older respondents.
With that, we want to turn the question to you.
So, we’re asking: Do you avoid sharing political views for fear of being ‘cancelled’?
Poll Results:
No, I’m not worried about criticism (1548)
Sometimes, it depends on the situation (1446)
Yes, I tend to hold back my views for this reason (1220)
Not really, I usually share my views (1208)
I don’t share my political views, but for other reasons (720)
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