"As If It Had Happened at Our School": Social Media and Youth Activism After Parkland

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Youth Activism, Ethical Discussions, and Educational Reform

Abstract

In the Parkland shooting’s wake, thousands of students walked out of their schools to protest for greater gun safety laws. Social media played a key role in this process, but the extent to which online engagement leads to offline participation is underexamined. This multiple case study extends prior research on social media’s role in youth activism by focusing on eight youth activists who led school walkouts. Based on interviews and an analysis of digital artifacts, the results illustrate participants’ multifaceted use of social media: even though participants were reluctant to engage in online civic expression regarding school shootings, social media nevertheless stimulated these activists’ agency and afforded them a dialogic space in which they could research information and promote participation.

Authors

• Allyson M Wilcox, Clemson University

• Danielle Christine Herro, Clemson University