Teens staying silent on politics for fear of being 'cancelled'

Thursday, 16 April 2026 05:18

One in five teenagers in the UK do not share their political views due to a fear of being "cancelled", according to a new report.

A survey by the Economist Educational Foundation found that 22% of 15 to 17-year-olds had stopped themselves sharing political opinions because they were worried about criticism, along with 20% of 10 to 14-year-olds.

Nearly one in four of the 4,000 students aged between 10 and 17 who took part in the survey said they have been asked to stop voicing their political views at school.

The results also showed that 44% of 15 to 17-year-olds said they would not feel ready to vote in the next election.

It comes after the government introduced plans last year to lower the voting age to 16, enabling up to 9.5 million more people to have their say at the next general election.

The Economist Educational Foundation's chief growth officer, Tiffany Smyly, said the fear of being cancelled could push teenagers to online "fringe" communities where their views could become more extreme.

She warned: "If teenagers are worried about being cancelled, then they are not going to be sharing their viewpoints at school or with friends.

"Instead, they are likely to go into chat rooms or forums that do allow them to share a fringe opinion, and that might be where their views become more extreme.

"We need to channel young people's political curiosity in more positive ways."

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The survey found the cost of living crisis and healthcare are the main concerns for younger people.

Those who took part were more likely to say they were curious about politics than uninterested in it - and more than two-thirds of 15 to 17-year-olds admitted they would feel more confident voting if they knew more about different political policies.

Flora Letanka, chief executive of the Economist Educational Foundation, called for more opportunities for young people to openly discuss the topics that matter to them.

She added: "We need to ensure young people are given the chance to think critically about what's going on in the world, to explore different perspectives, and see the real impact of political decisions on the people around them."

Sky News