Finnish youth losing faith in the future as expert group proposes reforms

A government-appointed working group has proposed lowering the voting age to 16 among other measures to restore young people’s dwindling belief in the future, Yle reports.

Futures researcher Otto Tähkäpää, a member of the expert panel, warns that young Finns increasingly feel intergenerational injustice, with their basic life prospects—such as stable employment and family formation—seen as uncertain or unattainable. “We cannot expect young people to suddenly believe in the future if adults don’t give them real reasons to,” he said.

The group’s recommendations follow a sharp decline in youth life satisfaction, as shown in recent surveys. In 2024, trust in personal futures hit historic lows, prompting the Ministry of Education and Culture to convene specialists to diagnose the problem.

Tähkäpää criticises society’s slow response to predictable trends, noting that warning signs about youth disillusionment were clear a decade ago. “All the data pointed to this, yet we’re only acting now that the damage is done,” he said.

The panel proposes enshrining intergenerational fairness in law to ensure youth interests are systematically considered in policymaking, rather than left to the discretion of current leaders. It also calls for a national debate on equitably distributing rights, responsibilities, and costs across generations.

Beyond structural reforms, Tähkäpää urges immediate, practical steps—such as ending the online harassment of young people by adults. “Adults, stop bullying young people on social media,” he advised.

The expert highlights a growing empathy gap, with older generations failing to grasp the pressures facing youth today, from climate change to AI-driven job insecurity. Public discourse often dismisses or mocks young people, deepening their sense of being ignored, he added.