Week Six Journal Post: Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age

A particular topic that I found to be interesting was the political aspect as it relates to technology and today’s youth.  I don’t see that the youth are particularly interested in or informed about politics.  As an adult, I myself do not have a great deal of interest in politics.  To be honest, politics is rarely discussed in my house unless it is related to education or it is during an election.  In reading Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age, I thought of the import role that politics plays in our lives every day.  I realized that my lack of interest in politics probably stems from the fact that politics was not really discussed in my house growing up.  Most of my knowledge of politics as a child was developed from what I learned in school.  My son is sixteen and I’m sure that the same is true for him; his knowledge of politics is limited to political conversations based on what we hear on the news and what he learn in school. 

            One key issue reiterated throughout this text is that today’s youth aren’t as involved as they could be on the political scene, yet there is a great deal of untapped potential that could spark interest in numerous members of the younger generation, the Internet.  Social media plays a tremendous role in the lives of most members of society.  What better way to reach the youth than by reaching out to them on their turf, the Internet.  Bennett asserts, “A challenging question is how to better integrate the social and public worlds of young people online. Unlike classic accounts of civil society in which social bonds strengthened political participation in the golden age of dutiful citizens, the separation of the social and the civic in the youth online world often seems stark” (11).  For the youth, political participation seems to be fueled by social media.  Two of the most recent examples include the Eric Garner case in Staten Island, New York where the medical examiner declared that Mr. Garner died as a direct result of being placed in a choke hold by a New York City police officer and the shooting of unarmed teenager, Michel Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August.  These tragic incidences, fueled by social media caused many teenagers to take a stand and to have their voices heard.  Many people exercised their right to demonstrate for an issue that they felt strongly about.  This is an example of the ways that Digital Media can engage today’s youth to become involved in politics.  The teenagers were involved in something that they felt passionate about, but do they understand that they were taking a political stand and they their voices could really be heard on a large scale if they continue to become involved in politics? 

Reading “Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age." Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth helped me to realize the importance of getting the youth involved in the politics.  Most people, young and old alike, have a desire to become involved when our civil liberties or the civil liberties of others are effected, however the youth may not be aware of the power that their voice has and the impact that they can have in the political arena.  We already know that “in this digital society, the axiom that information is power is more appropriate than ever” (19) is true.  If society used new media, including social media to reach out to the youth, I feel that there would be more involvement.  Bennett’s research indicates that, “most young people simply do not believe that following and learning about various issues will translate into the power to help decide them. Strong (daily) levels of interest in politics are expressed by barely 13 percent of eighteen- to twenty-four-year-olds, compared to more than twice that level among those over fifty-five. Interest levels in the news reflect interest levels in politics” (19).  Perhaps targeting the youth through new media and new technologies is the key to changing these statistics.   

References:

Bennett, W. (2008). Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age. Retrieved from http://static.squarespace.com/static/51ede959e4b0de4b8d24e8a9/t/525485cde4b0843ea38965df/1381270989265/Ciberciudadanía y opinión pública.pdf