Let's Change Illinois Together: Youth Civic Engagement and New Media

• In Event: 29.090 - Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: 29.090-12 - Supporting Youth as Critical Change Agents

Abstract

Youth civic engagement is important to the sustenance and renewal of a strong democracy and healthy society. In this digital age, new media like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter have affected the ways in which youth contribute to and participate in politics. This research project investigates a youth civic engagement model that imports elements of youth participatory culture and new media. Youth are involved in a statewide campaign to create and promote an actionable policy agenda for the upcoming 2014 Midterm election. They use a new media platform to create profiles, discuss, tag and promote the best ideas. We find that this civic engagement model increases civic participation and knowledge. However, these results can be thwarted by organizational incapacities.

Authors

• Anna Bethune, Northwestern University

• Matthew Easterday, Northwestern University

• Elizabeth Gerber, Northwestern University