Apathy culture in the UK: is it too simple to say we just don’t care anymore?

I suppose I may get my point on political apathy across better by simply not being bothered to write anything at all, yet here I am trying to tackle what is arguably one of the most complex and diverse political issues confronting Western society today. While I once held the cynical viewpoint that most people just do not care about politics, what is now apparent to me is that an accumulation of factors has led to all generations holding a very complex attitude towards politics. 

Recent horrific events have perhaps amplified political polarisation in which people  have divided into three categories: either they have had enough and are willing to fight back against various injustices, or they are experiencing disillusionment and are  conflicted on their political stance, and the final bunch seem to opt out of politics completely. What the root cause could ultimately come down to is that there is a culture in Britain of enduring suffering and remaining stoic. Unfortunately, it would seem the ingrained British attitude of the stiff-upper lip is now really biting us on the arse. 

When asking the question of where political apathy has emerged from, I think it is safe to say that it is being taught initially within the education system. What I noticed within my time in secondary school is that education is structured largely to produce workers rather than thinkers. We are taught to ingest what is placed in front of us but not taught how to criticise pre-existing structures that cause harm to society. Subjects such as mathematics and science are advocated for by the system which are undeniably important, but a lack of funding in humanities subjects means that the youth of today are not learning how to think about the world around them, rather how to cater to a political system that does not serve them. There is also the fact that politics and finance is not obligatory to be taught in schools. By keeping people ill – informed on these topics, they remain easily manipulable and are not empowered to recognise but also challenge flaws within the political system. Resultantly, many people become apathetic because they feel intimidated by something they have not been introduced to from a young age; the idea that politics is too complex and has been largely dominated by the elite for thousands of  years means it is often viewed as something that shouldn’t be the responsibility of the masses. 

And so, if people are being moulded to be ill – informed and apathetic to their suffering, this is leading to them being further manipulated by right – wing rhetoric through social media and news outlets. A survey I conducted amongst family and friends ranging from 16 to 60+ has found that the consensus is that many people feel so overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of information on offer online that they struggle to know what they should believe, let alone what is actually true. Political apathy is enhanced as right wing media pushes ideas that swap critical thinking and empathy for pure hatred. British people are being sold the idea that their suffering can be eased through blaming people worse off than themselves such as asylum seekers, rather than the obscenely rich elite class who put them there in the first place. With MPs to represent the concerns of constituencies, we have become largely dependent and complacent to the idea that we will be protected. When left consistently high and dry by the failures of politicians these days, the blame shifts to scapegoats such as transgender people and asylum seekers because it is so much easier to tread down on the most vulnerable people in society, rather than the ones at the top doing all the damage. The system wants people to be apathetic as a means of control. 

With a return to talking about polarisation, politics seems to be veering off in two directions: right – wing extremism and left – wing theory which is about serving everyone equally. Social media has contributed to the creation of online echo chambers – spaces in which different political ideas fester within different social groups – creating a divided culture which promotes hate and dispute over healthy debate. People have lost the art of communicating in order to listen and find common ground. Instead, politics has descended into toxicity, hostility and antagonism. Many feel daunted by this polarisation in which the future of politics could ascend or spiral in a staggering way. 

Another majorly impactful reason for apathy that emerged in my survey within older  generations is that previous governments have crippled the economy and introduced  such harmful legislation that the failure of governments has now become cyclically  inevitable. Thanks to Brexit, the welfare system is now in such disorder that many  people have become too familiar with financial pressures and other sufferings; we have developed a Stockholm Syndrome – type relationship to blundering idiots running the country. Brexit has morphed many into political masochists. Nigel Farage is capitalising on this: promising Brits a false utopia of claiming back a country that has never belonged to them and certainly won’t if Reform wins the next election. Farage also capitalises on British apathy by winning over his voters through personality rather than policy to distance himself from the negative image of being a politician which has developed; people are now more passionate about voting for people who eat camel udders on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ because that is now apparently what an exemplary Prime Minister does to show he is a man for the people. (He made £1.5 million from that  show). 

I would also argue that media outlets are posting primarily about the doom and gloom in the world as an attempt to anger and demoralise the public. For example, the BBC failed to comment on Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s success in attaining more members than the Conservatives with 150,000 members. Positive news is hard to come by these  days, it can be extremely off-putting and discouraging to people – but I would argue that despite right – wing propaganda, the corruption of political parties and the plethora of other factors that contribute to political apathy in the UK, the information on offer to us is ultimately inching us closer towards class consciousness, more so than ever before. In the grand scheme of history, people have never had access to more human rights than now. Currently however, the wall between freedom and fascism we are walking on top of is visibly crumbling. When it comes to remaining hopeful and fighting for what is right, I think it’s important to decide for ourselves whether it is better to die on our feet or live on our knees.

Words by Eloise Sullivan-Flatt