Yes, We Get Wiser with Age

I think part of the explanation is cultural changes over time. The EU is very much a symbol of internationalism/globalism, even if localised into a continental context, while Brexit is a nationalistic rebellion against it. Nationalism was more popular/accepted in the past (especially so for British nationalism), so older people tend to be more sympathetic to nationalism, and hence more likely to support Brexit. Whereas, I think the popular culture is moving away from nationalism and towards internationalism/globalism instead. (Not universally – subgroups like the alt right are moving in the other direction, but they are a minority.) Part of that move is no doubt due to the Internet, which helps people see themselves as part of one planet by interacting with people in other countries on a regular basis. Teenagers watching YouTube are just as likely to watch videos from other countries as their own (provided they understand the language), which is accelerating the process of global unification of popular culture which the media and entertainment industries had already begun. But these sorts of cultural changes always effect the younger people the most, whereas older people are more likely to retain cultural outlooks prevalent when they were younger. The young are naturally a leading indicator of social and cultural change, the old a trailing indicator of it.

(It is more complicated in that a lot of younger people can be positive about globalist/internationalist institutions such as the EU and the UN over nation-states, yet also often quite sympathetic to separatist nationalisms such as those of Scotland, Catalonia, the Basque country, Kosovo, Palestine, Kurdistan, Tibet, West Papua, etc. To some extent that seems contradictory, and the idealist tendency of the young to support the underdog may explain that contradiction; on the other hand, to support regional nationalisms can be in a way anti-nationalistic, in that supporting smaller nationalisms against larger ones (e.g. Scottish nationalism against British nationalism, Basque/Catalan nationalism against Spanish nationalism) can be seen as consistent with a broader anti-nationalist outlook–one can foresee a future for Europe in which the existing nation-states are sucked away simultaneously in both directions, upward by the growth in power of the EU and downward by devolutionist and secessionist movements (that are hopeful that the structures of the EU might make their devolutionist or secessionist projects easier and more successful.))

I think it can also be situational as well - you can obviously be freer with emotions with close friends then at work.

(46, English)

>How does this explain Brexit?

Brexit is a political decision. It's not inherently good or bad, some people with so and so interests find it good, others with so and so interests find it bad. Similarly, some people think other people voted that "against their own best interests", other people think that they voted according to their interests just fine, and that the condescending ones don't really know better.

Countries signed up to the EU because of certain proposed benefits (among them, the idea that they need to keep Germany bound, an openly stated goal of early diplomats and politicians that were fundamental in the creation of ECSC/EEC/EU. Long after that, Germany re-united, took the de facto economic leadership of EU, and now votes for AfD.

(For a great overview of the climate and the tensions behind EU's creation and later development, I suggest: https://www.amazon.com/New-Old-World-Perry-Anderson/dp/18446... ).

Furthermore, EU has always been problematic from a democratic perspective, with bureaucrats at the helm, and an opaque process of decision-making (complete with several non-official-bodies, non-accountable to anyone, that nevertheless convene and take decisions that affect all member states). Add to that certain "circles of influence" between countries due to historical, cultural and economic ties, where a country might control several other countries votes (and thus have undue influence in EU decisions) and it's not that great a bundle deal.

So, if some country doesn't see the benefits in EU membership, they can always flee. Whether it will hurt its economy is not the be-all end-all question to make the decision "rational" or not, as a) the EU is not exactly a paragon of economic stability, b) economies can rebound, c) the economic impact is not the ultimate criterion by which countries decide everything they do. (As for an open market and open standard they can always happen across European countries without common single law and economic steering from Brussels -- I don't think China and the US for example have much issues in trading, despite not belonging to the same federation).

It's also about personal interests. Young voters might vote Bremain for reasons like "it's the progressive thing to do", "we want a united Europe", "I want to be able to work in any EU country" etc. Older voters might be more cynical on to what EU actually offers because of their experience, and they also don't have much to gain by EU mobility (nobody --and by that I mean extremely few-- is going to leave everything and start a new career in France in their 50s and 60s) or other things that might be enticing to young voters. That might be selfish of them, but it's not senile or irrational: it's pragmatic.

In other words, no, Brexit is not some "proof" that older British get increasingly unwise. At worst, it could mean that they can be wrong in some decision, as is the case with everyone. But the question was not whether they can never cast a wrong vote, but whether they have more experience, control over emotion, better decision making empathy, and other such traits TFA talks about than their younger cohorts. You can have all those and still make this or that bad decision.

And remain voters were drip fed state-sponsored pro-EU propaganda as well.

The EU spends tons of money for promoting itself.

> However, I find it difficult to say: "they collectively chose incorrectly".

That might just because you are a tolerant, reasonable person.

If you were a bit more arrogant and rude like some others at this site it would be much easier for you.

Source: Back when I was an even more intolerant, stupid and annoying guy I had no problems flaming whole religions or nations.