Generation Apathy?

So I just got back from voting for the BUSU election and referendum. As I was waiting in line at the polling table, I heard the following conversation between the girl running the polling station and the guy standing in front of me:

Guy: I have no idea who these people are. I'm just going to vote randomly. What's this reefer-endy thing?
Poll Operator: Uhhh...something about fees and how they're spent or something...I just voted no...

I facepalmed so hard.

Seriously? I know school elections probably don't seem like a big deal, but BUSU is spending quite a large amount of your money, and you're rejecting the one opportunity you have to get some say in how it's spent? And more importantly, the decisions made in this election are going to affect all of the 20,000 students at Brock, as well as faculty, staff, and other members of the Brock community, some in a very big way. Maybe you don't care about financial aid, health services, and club funding, but to some people, these are crucial issues that have a profound impact on their university experience.

As students we're all too quick to complain about the services at Brock: the horrible food services, the lack of quality clubs and activities, the transit system, and the library hours, and we're equally quick to demand that we get more for the massive amount of money we're spending to be here. But when it comes to making the tiny amount of effort required to check a ballot and drop it in a box in hopes of changing how these issues are addressed, some people just can't be bothered? Not even enough to know who the candidates are and what they plan to do with your money?

I just don't understand it.

But it seems like it's something that extends far beyond the BUSU election and Brock University. It seems almost like a cultural thing. And I'm left wondering, 'why?' Why doesn't my generation seem to care about anything? Why are we so content to complain about things, demand that we're entitled to more, but not care enough to get off the couch and do something about it? It's easy to get all generation-gap and start with the "this generation is lazy and spoiled, and in my day..." but I mean, there has to be some kind of reason for this pervading sense of apathy.

And I'll admit, I'm as much a part of it as anyone else. I'm not out changing the world, I'm sitting here talking about it. And honestly, it confuses the hell out of me. All I can do, I guess, is to start thinking, start questioning, start wondering why this generation doesn't seem to want a voice, why we don't seem to realize the tremendous amount of power at our disposal should we choose to use it. Why we don't choose to leave our mark on this world we're all living in.

Are we afraid that our voices don't matter? That we'll be ignored, drowned out in a sea of white noise? That we don't have anything worth saying?

Or do we genuinely not care?