Authors

Presenter(s)

Rachel Young, Jacob Mantle

Comments

Presentation: 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

The goal of our research is to explore the relationship between political media consumption and political activity among young people in the United States. Specifically, we are interested in examining the role of political media in shaping American young people’s perceptions of the importance of being politically involved. Political participation is essential to a functioning democracy. Discovering how young people’s consumption of political media impacts their perception of the importance of political involvement will provide insight into potential avenues for increasing political participation among young people. The distinction between civic and political activity is illustrated in the literature review. Despite the lack of research, we know political involvement contributes to a stable democracy. By focusing on how to accomplish this among young people, our research will provide practical solutions to ensure the functioning of American democracy for generations to come.Much of our research is focused on social media, particularly Facebook, because of its popularity and the role it has played in the last few presidential elections in the United States. Additionally, social media is prominent among young people with 84% of Americans ages 18-29 reporting they use at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2021). Through our secondary research using data collected from 1,228 Americans ages 16-29 (Vromen et al., 2013), we hope to discover what motivates young people, the future of our country, to become politically active.

Publication Date

4-19-2023

Project Designation

Course Project 202310 COM 503 01

Primary Advisor

Jee-Hee Han

Primary Advisor's Department

Communication

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Critical Evaluation of Our Times

Explicating the Relationship between Social Media and Offline Political Engagement among American Youths

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