Redesigning Civic Education for the Digital Age: Participatory Politics and the Pursuit of Democratic Engagement

Figures & data

Table 1. Sources of News and Information

Percent who got news and information about political or social issues from source in last week:
Twitter or Facebook post/tweets from family or friends	50%
Newspapers, magazines, TV, or radio news accessed online	50%
Print newspaper or magazines, TV or radio news	43%
An online community where people discuss a hobby, sport, or fandom	36%

Data from 2013 YPP Survey for 15–27-year-olds.

Figure 1. Core Practices of Participatory Politics

Table 2. Core Practices for Educating Youth for Participatory Politics

Common Historical Practices	Expanded Practices in the Digital Age	New Opportunities for Youth	Potential Risks	Implications for Educators
Investigation and research:
• Broadcast media and newspapers were the main outlets for news on civic and political issues• Research happened through trusted sources, such as encyclopedias• Information was highly vetted by elites, gatekeepers, and major institutions	• The Internet makes access to a wide range of information easier• News and information is commonly accessible through participatory channels, such as Facebook and Twitter• Crowd-sourced information can be shared and co-created through platforms like Wikipedia	• Youth can easily tap a wider range of information, forms of data, and view points• Research can be undertaken and shared independently of institutions and gatekeepers	• Increased access to misinformation and information that is not sufficiently vetted• Filter bubbles and echo chambers result in greater exposure to like-minded people and information and less exposure to divergent perspectives	Support youth to engage in:• Effective search and credibility analysis• High-quality investigation through multiple sources using digital tools and platforms• Tapping social networks to forage for information• Participatory action research• Information framing and story creation
Dialogue and feedback:
• For youth, dialogue about social issues occurred either in private circles with family and friends or with peers in school• Structured forums for dialogue and feedback primarily happened at specified times and locations, such as a town hall or school board meetings	• Increased opportunities for feedback in online forums, such as commenting on news websites, creating online petitions, and generating viral campaigns intended to pressure a representative	• Youth have increased opportunities to engage in dialogue and feedback outside of structured forums and institutional contexts• There are expanded chances for youth to voice their opinions and perspectives to a wide audience	• Youth only engage in spaces and dialogue with like-minded individuals, called echo chambers• Incivility and offensive dialogue can dominate online dialogic spaces that are not regulated by clear norms or guidelines and where anonymity is common	Support youth to engage in:• Expressing one’s perspective persuasively in a digital format• Sharing one's point of view with respect and civility even when there is no face to face relationship• Tapping social networks to engage in dialogue with people with diverse perspectives• Reflecting on the impact of dialogue and expression on their own identity while being aware of the risks of disclosure, online bullying, and eco-chambers
• Many opportunities for feedback—such as voting, calling one’s representative, or writing a letter to the editor—were structured by institutions	• Dialogue about social issues can occur with a broader range of people in online spaces, such as Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms, etc.		• In an effort to draw attention, everyday experiences of ordinary lives and struggles can be crowded out by sensationalized accounts
Production:
• The production of ideas and media was largely limited to elites and “professionals” within organizations and institutions.• Youth were primarily consumers in relation to production; exceptions included small-scale activities possibly provided through school, youth organizations, or volunteering with an organization	• Accessible digital tools enable youth to engage in production ranging from creating a video to building their own website	• There are new and expanded opportunities for youth to contribute to the flow of information and to shape the narrative around civic and political issues• Youth have voice and agency in spaces where they can also produce ideas and media	• When working with limited resources, civic and political production projects can require an intensive amount of work over a long period of time that is increasingly unsustainable	Support youth to develop abilities to:• Use digital tools and platforms for trans-media production• Strategically determine the appropriate tools and the best use of the tools• Determine how to craft persuasive messages that will reach a targeted audience
Circulation:
• The spread of information happened through structured civic and political organizations via mass mailings, flyers, posters, etc.• Organizations and the media chose “experts” and “leaders” to speak on a topic and talk about its civic implications	• Information spreads through participatory channels, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Wikipedia• Social networks share and circulate information to an expanded audience by “liking,” forwarding, commenting, and remixing information	• Youth have increased opportunities for voice, agency, and creative expression through sharing information and their points of view• Youth help determine what information and views their peers are exposed to• Youth now have the ability to reach an expanded audience outside of an organizational structure using digital tools and online networks	• The nuances of an issue get lost when a message is trimmed and simplified to circulate quickly and broadly• Exposure to new information and ideas is limited by filter bubbles and one’s social networks• The digital afterlife of a message can take on a different shape or direction than was initially intended• Surveillance is increasingly possible as increased personal expression in online spaces can easily be tracked and traced	Support youth to engage in:• The use of digital tools and platforms for multimedia circulation• Tapping social networks to circulate information and messages• Determining how to go public and cultivate an expanding online audience for the spread of information or one’s view points• Thinking through possible outcomes of civic and political activity, the footprint it may leave, and the digital afterlife
Mobilizing for Change:
• Political organizations mobilized large numbers of people around a civic or political cause using their capacity and resources, such as door to door canvassing or tapping an organizations’ membership	• Social networks can be mobilized without the need for organizational resources• Young people might start a new political group online, write and disseminate an online petition, raise money for a civic cause via a Kickstarter campaign	• Youth have expanded relevancy and influence in mobilizing others to back a civic or political issue of concern• Social networks increase young people’s opportunity to be mobilized to respond to an issue by someone they know and trust• Youth can take advantage of varying levels of engagement through the fluid and flexible use of digital media	• Requests to get involved can come from individuals and groups that are unknown and potentially untrustworthy• Complex issues can be misunderstood and/or conflated when information is simplified and shortened to more easily mobilize others• Individuals and groups can mobilize around savior-like responses that do not effectively address the complexity of the situation	Support youth to:• Tap social networks and digital platforms to organize and mobilize others• Determine tactics and strategies for building support• Identify appropriate and relevant responses based on a nuanced understanding of an issue• Anticipate the impact of action, and reflect on possible outcomes and unintended consequences