In a book just released by Lexington Books, Web 2.0 and the Political Mobilization of College Students, Kenneth W. Moffett and Laurie L. Rice find that simple online political activities (such as liking candidates, and posting one's thoughts about politics online) yields higher levels of civic activities away from the internet. They also find that differing forms of online participation are connected with higher levels of other routes of civic engagement online. These newer forms of engagement make political participation more accessible to young people. They both draw in a broader swathe of young adults than might ordinarily participate and propel them to participate in multiple ways, both online and offline. In this way, their findings run counter to the common narrative about young adults being "slacktivists" and disengaged and instead offer hopeful news about the future of political participation in the United States.
|
Research Spotlights
Making civic education research accessible... Categories
All
Archives
February 2019
|