Does lowering the voting age to 16 actually strengthen democracy, or does it just hand a microphone to people who mostly absorb politics through TikTok and school hallways? I work with high schoolers and some of them are sharper than many adults I know, but turnout among 18-24 is already dismal. Maybe the real issue is that we've made voting feel like a chore, and adding younger voters won't fix civic apathy — it might just dilute the voice of those who actually show up.