Digital Media’s Impact on Civic Engagement

Abstract

Like those before them, contemporary youth are in the process of forming habits and orientations toward civic life that can establish patterns of political engagement that follow them through their lifetimes. Unlike earlier generations, however, early 21st-century “born digital” youth face a dramatically different communications environment than that experienced by their parents and grandparents. This chapter charts a path toward effective evaluation research for broadband within the specific domain of political and civic engagement among young people. After introducing core dimensions and constructs relevant to such a research program, it reviews key theoretical models as well as particularly fruitful strands of scholarship that can make important contributions to a program of broadband evaluation research focused on youth engagement. The chapter concludes with a discussion of challenges and opportunities for future research, both in terms of key substantive questions and particularly useful methodological approaches.