I'm not sure if I can agree with your first statement. If the only ballots counted in the general election were from voters under 30 Clinton would have won with something like 80% of the electoral vote. The young vote did not elect President Trump.

I think part of the frustration and apathy toward elections among youth demographics actually comes from the overwhelming amount of blame the Babyboomers shift from their own responsiblities. It happens constantly especially in economic and political discourse.

Much of the rest is that with such rampant voter disenfranchisement, in all its forms, Citizens United, and the loss of the protections of the Voting Rights Act on top of everything else many are left with the feeling they wouldn't be counted if they did try to vote anyway.

Between the miseducation of most Americans on how our elections work, and the media message of "every choice sucks and you are powerless" It's maddening to be young and fighting to have your peers join in political life.

You say blaming the media is bullshit, and I'd agree if that was the entire argument but it isn't. Public education has been suffering a death by 1000 cuts for generations now. The result is that the majority of high school graduates for decades have not only missed out on grasping how our country actually works, and it's flaws, but they have been actively denied access to the basic tools needed to see past the face of mass media, and engage in a democracy.

The American people ( across all ages) have a hugely scewed image of their own country and government and that only happens when you have the failing of critical thinking matched with the outrageous use of rhetorical fallacy in the media. And the message to vote against your own interests works just as well on older voters as the message of powerlessness does on young voters.

In the end, even if the voter turnout among youth was at 100% at pollong places our election infrastructure couldn't even handle the load. I'm not pushing away their responsibility as part of the systemBut summarily blaming the youth is simply a copout.