The Caveman

There are many stories of how the world came to be; each part of the world seems to have a different tale. Whether it be Genesis, the Brahmanda, Ymir or Atum, every dark corner has a legend of light. But let’s go with the story of the ape today. An animal, which is not a monkey, I’ve been told that somehow, over 4 billion excruciating years has been gifted with the unexpected reward of us. Of me. Of you. And those people on TV who we’re calling politicians. But who would’ve thought that those faces which symbolize governance would be carved onto mountains similar to ones where the lawless cavemen dwelled?

Democracy, Monarchy, Communism, Dictatorship, Capitalism, Totalitarianism – so many types of governments and even more kinds of politicians that run them. Why even bother to involve ourselves in something so complexly above us? Because it isn’t above us at all. The news of occurrences on the other side of the world reaches us in the flash of seconds and can be displayed on screens all with the same simplicity as the weather forecast. What’s truly noticeable though, is that these days the impacts reach us just as quickly.

This year, UK’s economy grew by 0.1% in August, after a contraction in July, resulting in 0.3% growth over the three months to August. CPI inflation was 3.8% in August 2025, and while it has been decreasing for much of 2024, it is still nearly double the Bank of England's target rate. The bank leaves interest rates at 4%. If you thought I actually spent time learning about any of this, then you’re wrong; these are all numbers I got from Google after asking about recent economic developments in the UK. It’s all become as simple as typing in a few words. So why should we put the effort into involving ourselves with politics?

Well, it's the same as looking at a food video on YouTube and expecting to be able to taste the food. I certainly can’t taste it, and as a foodie I’m quite disappointed. However, government policy being a much more serious matter, won’t leave us with simply disappointment when it doesn’t turn out to be how we thought it was. And for this generation, the world is almost always changing; what I thought would never happen yesterday has the chance of being true today and becoming common tomorrow. And while the sun controls when the day starts, it's the government we run under, and the laws we follow that control how the day ends. And I believe that being in school yesterday will not excuse us from being adults today, nor from being affected by the news we ignored tomorrow.

‘What is the solution?’ You may not be asking if I’ve bored you already. Well, the first step is to not be oblivious to the problem. And perhaps you’ll see that the news doesn’t only cover stories that aren’t relevant to you. I mean, it does say the Latest News for a reason. It may seem like the price of a KitKat increasing by 18% isn’t important now. Yet on one fine day, that happens to be when we turn 18, we will magically morph into adults. And that is when we realize that even international taxes, tariffs, conflict and allegiances will not only increase the price of KitKat, but also the prices we pay for our houses.

Sure. That makes sense. Warriors hold their weapon for the first time on a battlefield, don’t they? Teachers learn the entire syllabus on the day of the lesson, don’t they? Einstein just knew one day, out of the blue, that the theory of relativity was true, didn’t he? If it wasn’t clear, the answer is actually no. The world would be doomed if that were the case. It is from that which I say, how can we throw teenagers into a world that runs on political science out of the mere hope for an epiphany of understanding? There is a reason a baby doesn’t learn how to walk right out of the womb. How easy life would be then! All those quotes about life being about surpassing hurdles and learning weren’t for nothing. At least, I hope so.

Awareness is vital. Awareness is power. Awareness is a right. It’s an opportunity in our arsenal that we should use. We should know when new immigration laws make their way to potential places where we could settle in the future. We should know when the government needs to increase taxes to fund the public health services. We should know when the government is investing in an AI R&D scheme that could transform the career market for our generation. For it won’t be affecting those voting now, but it will be affecting us. It can be as easy as watching a news video or speech in class. It can be as miniscule as skimming an article online. Continuous exposure to current affairs can become a valuable asset. Why should civics be a subject considered only after university? Knowing whether the current leaders are fighting a war using you or for you is as important as any other academic subject you could study.

Thus, I, for one, think that another aspect should be added to what a teenager learns today. And before anyone comes at me about having enough to learn about at school, let me remind you that the entire point of the institution is to prepare us for the world beyond it. And an enormous portion of that world is dependent on politics, politicians and our understanding of them. How much better can we be than that caveman from a millennia ago who had no idea what foreign policies were if we know what legislation is, but not know about it? Quit waiting for those magical 18 years and the wisdom with them to appear and maybe find that you can gain it now. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. I’m sure many of you must have heard that. And while I can’t guarantee that a newspaper a day will keep the taxes away, how I wish it would though, it can keep us prepared for them and many other social debacles the world throws at us.