The world is changing, and changing quickly. Donald Trump was able to build a coalition and win an election by tapping into voters’ anxieties about these changes—economic, cultural, technological, demographic—and convincing many people that these changes haven’t all been for the best. In the process, many young people have been driven away from the right, and they can be forgiven for wondering if standing athwart history tweeting “Stop!” is an appealing long-term strategy for the country.

For their part, conservatives have done little to bridge the generation gap, or even effectively to make their case, instead treating young people as at best a nuisance and at worst a problem. But as young people’s political power continues to increase, their influence over the direction of the country will intensify as well. Their voter turnout levels will rise, their ranks among candidates for political office will grow, and their occupation of positions of influence throughout society will expand. Far better for conservatives to harness this power now than to risk losing it forever.