Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/933296
maltatoday SUNDAY 28 JANUARY 2018 4 News JAMIE* handles the 12 buttons on his controller effortlessly while jostling the two analogue sticks as he communicates remotely with his friends, who have joined the party. And if this description is confus- ing, you are probably from an old- er generation where party involved inviting friends over at home to drinks, food and music. But in Jamie's world, party is a group of friends connected via the internet, talking to each other as they play the same Playstation game online. While they do so, their iPads are next to them, play- ing some YouTube video. Jamie and his friends are playing a war game where players are first- person shooters, battling hundreds of other youngsters from around the world. It is a dramatically dif- ferent form of gaming experience from the time when Doom, anoth- er first-person shooter, first made an appearance on floppy disks in the 1990s and the internet was a slow dial-up connection. Jamie was born in 2003, the same year that Maltese voters, twice- over, decided that the country's future should be in the EU. After saying 'Yes' to EU membership in a referendum, voters confirmed their choice in the general election that came a month later. Eddie Fenech Adami was prime minister and Alfred Sant the Op- position leader. Jamie's generation has lived all its life in European Malta, where seamless travel between member states is a fact of life. It is a gen- eration that hardly recalls the ex- istence of the Maltese Lira, which was replaced by the euro when they were five years old. Jamie's generation is also one that does not read newspapers, hardly follows television and gets its information from social media that is accessible every time, eve- rywhere from smartphones. And Facebook may not neces- sarily be the social media platform of choice because that belongs to older people. Snapchat and Insta- gram are the snazzier alternatives. The information that trends is most probably the gossip about film stars, singers and YouTubers – a new breed of internet person- alities. Political talk could be boring but a short 60-second video with sub- titles doing the rounds on social media and breaking down an issue into digestible bites may be engag- ing. Staying home while connected online is a preferred option to go- ing out and getting boozed. For youngsters like Jamie watch- ing movies on Netflix and listening to music on Spotify are as normal as CDs and DVD rentals were for the teen generation in the 1990s. Like any teenager, Jamie is more likely to be influenced by friends than his parents, whom he views as old fashioned and suffocating. And next year, Jamie and his ilk will get to vote in the European Parliament election as the voting age will be brought down to 16. According to the 2011 cen- sus there were, at the time, 7,823 eight- and nine-year-olds. Those children will be 16 and 17 next year, with a right to vote. Reaching out to these young vot- ers will be a different ball game al- together for the political class. The change piloted by Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Julia Far- rugia fulfils the Labour Party's electoral pledge to extend the Vote 16 concept from local council elec- tions to national elections. The parliamentary discussion to change the Constitution starts to- morrow and there is cross-party consensus on the matter. The change will usher in a historic milestone for Maltese democracy. Writing in MaltaToday (see page 23), Farrugia says the reform will empower youth by giving them a stronger voice. "I have absolutely full faith in our youths; be it at sports, culture, vol- untary work and student activism, they're doing a splendid job… this will bring about a much-needed breath of fresh air in politics," she writes. Malta will be one of a handful of countries worldwide where the voting age for national elections is 16 and only the second EU country after Austria. In 2015, 16 and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in local elections for the first time. According to the Electoral Commission from the 4,485 youngsters who were eligible to vote, 62.3% cast their ballot. The outcome dispelled the impression many have had; that 16-year-olds would not even bother to head to the polling station. It is plausible to extrapolate a similar outcome, or better, for na- tional elections when the national hype kicks in and Sundays are re- served for mass meetings preceded by pumping music. But this new generation will bring with it a different dynamic to the political debate. Targeting Jamie's interests, concerns and as- pirations will require a new way of doing politics. For starters, it is a generation that is more apt to en- gage with content that is shared by friends on social media. Political parties have been adapting to this reality, as evi- denced by the political intensity that characterised Facebook feeds for the good part of a year up to Who is Eddie Fenech Adami? 16-year- olds who will vote next year take EU membership for granted because this is the only Malta they know Malta's Generation Europe will vote in 2019 They were born when Malta decided its future was in the EU and now they will get to vote for the first time in the European Parliament election next year. KURT SANSONE tries to understand who these new 16 and 17-year-old voters are www.iden tymalta.com Qualifica ons and Experience required: A minimum Level 5 Standard of Educa on or a job-related Diploma and two (2) years' experience or a minimum of 5 years' experience in a posi on requiring the employee concerned to take decisions, demonstrate leadership and show ini a ve. Competence in dealing professionally with the internal and external Customers of the Agency. A track record of excep onal performance in the posi on currently held. Familiarity with the opera ons of the Agency. Job Descrip ons: Implement departmental policy over a wide range of ac vi es/services rendered by the Unit under the direc on of management. Assist and support in the administra on and management of the department. Deal with correspondence, cases and enquiries rela ng to the func on of the Unit under the direc on of management. Assist in ensuring that policies are adhered to. Ensure that the team for which one is responsible meets deadlines and adopts a structured approach to tasks through Ac on Plans. Ensure that the workload is dealt with appropriately and backlogs are not developed. Any other du es as may be required by the Chief Execu ve Officer or his delegate. Interested persons are to send a covering le er together with a detailed Curriculum Vitae by not later than 4 th February 2018, addressed to Human Resources Unit, Iden ty Malta Agency, Onda Building, Aldo Moro street, Marsa. Applicants may also send by email to recruitment@iden tymalta.com Iden ty Malta is a government Agency established through Legal No ce LN269 of 2013. CAREER OPPORTUNITY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (ACCOUNTS) JOBSPLUS PERMIT NUMBER: 524/2017 According to the 2011 census there were, at the time, 7,823 eight- and nine- year-olds. Those children will be 16 and 17 next year, with a right to vote