How young people participate in politics through the Internet

The MacArthur Research Network on Youth and Participatory Politics, led by researchers Cathy J. Cohen (University of Chicago) and Joseph Kahne (Mills College) presented a report on new media and politics among people between 15 and 25 years old.

Based on a survey of 3,000 young Americans (including representatives of all races), the study details how young people use the Internet and social networks and how they participate in politics, offering a map of how they use these new media to participate in the social life.

The "Participative Policy: New Media and Youth Political Action" shows that a considerable number of young people from all racial groups are taking part in "participatory politics" through blogs, through political initiatives or forwarding video messages. The topics they cover through internet are the same than those of traditional political events. The difference is that these acts are interactive and participatory, and not just for the elite or formal institutions. They are also linked to digital media platforms that facilitate and amplify the actions of young people.

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