Remember when the 2016 presidential election was supposed to be different for young adults — particularly young Democratic voters? Many of them had become energized about Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as he ran against Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE in the Democratic primary. With his outsider’s message, Sanders ran — and railed — against the Big Banks, Big Pharma, Big Corporations, and Big Brother. And, of course, a promise of making college education free.

Of course, things didn’t turn out for these young Sanders supporters as they had hoped.

After the Russian hacking and the WikiLeaks dumping of the Podesta and Democratic National Committee emails, many of Sanders’ supporters angrily turned against both Clinton and the Democratic establishment in Philadelphia. Despite the focus on Clinton as the first female presidential nominee of a major party, many young Sanders supporters did not turn up to vote in 2016 election and 1 in 10 even voted for Donald Trump.

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And remember earlier in the year when the teens of Parkland were going to be the driving force of the election? Back in February, it seemed that the issue of guns was going to be a top issue in the 2018 Midterms. From Las Vegas to Parkland (and now Pittsburgh), many Americans could not stop talking about guns. And the Parkland teens were everywhere. From being on the cover of Time magazine to poignant interviews on TV with both the teens themselves alongside grieving parents, these youth were going to lead the way.

While they were able to make real change in their home state when the Florida Legislature passed several gun measures that were signed by Gov. Rick Scott, the Parkland Teens’ moment soon passed, and the energy they brought to young adults soon fizzled along with their media attention.

Historically, the power that young people played in the 1960s Civil Rights and Anti-War movements led to lasting change in the United States. Today, there are as many Millennials as Baby Boomers, and both can claim the title of the nation’s biggest voting bloc. Young people have always been able to make a difference in America when they become engaged.

So why don’t they now?

Turn on any cable news channel over the past two years and you can see pundits on the Left decry Donald Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE and the GOP, and those on the Right decry the Democrats and Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE. On TV it appears that both sides are enraged — and engaged. Nov. 6 is being dubbed (on both sides of the aisle) “The Most Important Midterm Election of our Lifetime.” And while some young adults are getting active in select campaigns around the country (e.g., Beto O’Rourke in Texas), it remains to be seen if young adults will actually show up to vote. Historically, young adults tend to vote at very low levels in midterm elections.

When I speak to my students, it sometimes shocks me that so many of them show a lack of enthusiasm for anything political. The recent Washington Post story that looked at non-voters in Tennessee’s Montgomery County had a subtext of “Can you believe these apolitical individuals?” — but they could just as easily be anywhere.

Like the rest of us, young adults tend to be engaged when the candidates speak about issues they care about. We know many young adults care about the environment, racial equality, support gay and transgender rights, face a mountain of college debt, and worry that the gig economy is their future. It’s hard enough to have a side hustle as a college student, but having that full time is not an appealing future for this generation. Neither is driving Uber.

When young adults once again don’t turn out in heavy numbers to vote there will be the usual hand wringing and wondering what it takes to get them to the polls. But when the midterm elections are framed as being about crime, immigration, the caravan, and Kavanaugh, where are the issues to motivate them?

Many of these young adults are just like the rest of us. Take a walk around campus and peer into the lounges, nooks, and crannies where college students relax between classes. In my department, cable news plays all day on a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. Few take any notice. They are looking down — at their phones playing a game, on their laptop watching Netflix. The same things many of us do when we are bored or want to disengage from the world.

Frankly, can you blame them?

Edward Horowitz is an associate professor in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University who specializes in politics and communication.