Youth online political expression in non-political spaces: implications for civic education

ABSTRACT

Based on an in-depth qualitative content analysis of post-election discourse in three online creative communities (Scratch, Archive of Our Own, and hitRECord), we examine the significance of youth political expression in non-political online spaces, and its implications for civic education. We find that these spaces offer a valuable window into the main concerns experienced by youth around the election, which they voice through unique modes of expression. Online spaces facilitate connections between the personal and the political, while highlighting the social aspects of youth participation and learning in regard to civic issues. At the same time, participants exhibit uncertainty regarding the limits of online expression and the potential consequences of speaking out. We argue that online spaces should be acknowledged as a significant channel for youth political expression and socialization, and consider how the practices encountered there could shape our approach to civic education.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth
• civic education
• civic expression
• online participation
• political participation

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Ioana Literat is Assistant Professor in the Communication, Media & Learning Technologies Design program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research, which examines participatory practices of online creativity, has been published in the Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, Communication Theory, International Journal of Communication, and Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, among others.

Neta Kligler-Vilenchik is Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication & Journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Her research examines changing forms of civic and political participation. She is the co-author of the book By Any Media Necessary: The New Youth Activism, and has published in journals such as the Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Communication, Social Media + Society, and Curriculum Inquiry, among others.

ORCID

Ioana Literat http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8192-769X

Notes

1 However, it is worth noting that Scratch users, who constituted our youngest demographic, often expressed admiration for Donald Trump and an affinity with his persona; indeed, compared to our other platforms, Scratch had the greatest contingent of Trump supporters and pro-Trump artifacts and comments.