Civic Education 2.0: Implications of Youth Online Participation for Learning and Political Socialization

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Technology and Life-Wide Learning Across Settings

Abstract

Based on an in-depth analysis of post-election discourse in three online creative communities (Scratch, Archive of Our Own, and hitRECord), we examine the educational significance of youth online political expression. Analyzing 1,116 creative artifacts and 14,202 associated comments posted in the two weeks following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we find that online spaces offer youth important opportunities for creative political expression, discussion and peer-to-peer learning. At the same time, participants exhibit uncertainty regarding the limits of free speech and the potential consequences for speaking out. We argue that online spaces should be acknowledged as a significant channel for youth political expression and socialization, and consider how these practices could shape our approach to civic education.

Authors

• Ioana Literat, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Neta Kligler-Vilenchik, Hebrew University of Jerusalem