A generational shift at the top of America's political system is inevitable before the end of the decade. After all, Joe Biden is 80, Donald Trump is 76 and 16 members of the Senate are 75 or older. The so-called Gen Z will play an important role in how that shift evolves.

Does that scare you? Me, I don't know whether to be more frightened or more hopeful. The results of the Harvard Youth Poll of 18- to 29-year-old Americans, released this week, can be read to support either reaction.

So just who are these young Americans who will determine what kind of country we'll be living in before too long? It's a generation where almost half of its members have felt "down, depressed, or hopeless" in the two weeks prior to being polled. And in the same period, almost a quarter figured they would be better off dead or thought of hurting themselves.

Who can blame them? Look at the world they're being handed, one where existential threats — climate change, pandemics, artificial intelligence and nuclear war — loom. Half of the females polled fear sexual assault, 2 in 5 respondents fear being caught in a mass shooting, while nearly one-third fear being left homeless.

It sure doesn't sound like fun to be a young American in the 2020s. "From fears of mass shootings to concerns of one day becoming homeless, the current state of Gen Z could perhaps best be summarized in one word: anxious," said Ethan Jasny, the student director of the poll. (Disclosure: Ethan, an undergraduate, and I, a resident scholar, regularly discuss politics over meals in the dorm where we both live.)

And yet, and yet, there are grounds to hope this generation will nudge our country to a fairer, healthier, safer society.

In the last 10 years, the number of 18- to 29-year-olds who believe government should guarantee a basic right to health insurance has risen from 42% to 65%. For a guarantee to food and shelter the number has climbed to 62%. And the multitude of droughts, heat spells, hurricanes and floods has apparently convinced 50% of the cohort to demand the government do more about climate change even at the expense of economic growth (up from 29%).

Almost three-quarters of the cohort support psychological exams for gun purchasers including a majority of Democrats (88%), Republicans (59%) and independents (71%). A 2-1 majority (58% to 29%) want to see a ban on assault weapons.

What then is the best way for the country's 18- to 29-year-olds to make what they want move from wish to reality? It's sure not Aladdin rubbing a lamp! John Lewis, the giant of the Civil Rights Movement, wisely said, "The vote ... is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it."

Alas, in the 2022 midterm elections, not even a quarter (23%) of 18- to 29-year-olds voted. Still, there are promising signs. While the 23% turnout in 2022 is dismal, it is still up from the typical 20% of the 1990s. And those who agreed with the statement "my rights are under attack in America today" were 9% more likely to vote. Hopeful? Maybe, but still over half of these young Americans worried about their rights do not bother to vote.

So there are trends that are promising on the one hand and disappointingly weak on the other. Being passive-aggressive — complaining about the wrongheadedness of elected officials and the ineffectiveness of government while not voting — is no path to change. It's a shortcut to anxiety and even more useless than rubbing a lamp.

The key question then for a young American today is whether they are going to sink into a mire of anxiety or participate in the political process to make for a better world. Of course, 18- to 29-year-olds can and should work for candidates, contribute to campaigns, post lawn signs and — why not? — even run for office. But the first two steps must be to register to vote and then to cast a ballot.

Today's young Americans can come together to make the choices that determine the future of our country. For their sake and for the sake of the country, I sure hope they choose to do so in rapidly increasing numbers.

In Keith Raffel's checkered past, he has served as the senior counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee, started an award-winning internet software company and written five novels, which you can check out at keithraffel.com. He currently spends the academic year as a resident scholar at Harvard. To find out more about Keith and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at creators.com.

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