The Rhetoric and Reality of Online Youth Political Participation:Recommendations for Parliaments

Amanda ClarkeDPhil Student

Trudeau ScholarOxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Outline

- The hopeful rhetoric of online youth political participation

- The harsh reality of online youth political participation

- In defense of online political engagement- Recommendations for successful online youth

engagement

Only 37% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2005 UK General Election

IPU’s Resolution on Youth Participation in Politics

Calls on parliaments to promote youth awareness of and participation in the political

process by using modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) to reach out to young people and increase access to

information on the democratic process

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

There is an opportunity to build on young people’s generally strong uptake of the

Internet as a medium for entertainment and learning and use this as a lever for democratic

involvement that addresses young people’s current dissatisfaction and apathy towards

politics.

UK Government’s e-democracy policy

One important target group for this policy is young people. All democratic institutions have a responsibility to ensure that young people are able to play their part. Evidence suggests

that young people are among those least likely to see the democratic process as relevant to them. Young people are also among those

most likely to be competent in ICT.

What are young people actually doing online?

Most young people are not regularly participating in politics online.

Young people who are engaged in online politics are not the ones we’re worried about.

Is an emphasis on the Internet distracting us from examining more fruitful avenues for

youth engagement?

In defense of online youth engagement

If you want to connect with

young people, you can’t avoid

the Internet.

Online politics offer opportunities to youth that offline politics cannot.

“Know the user and all else will follow”

1.

Draw young people in while respecting their privacy

2.

Be transparent

3.

Public awareness campaigns should focus on the opportunities, and not just the risks, of the Internet for young people

4.

Be conscious of parents’ rules

5.

Do not treat “young people” as a homogenous category

6.

Opportunities to speak are not enough; young people must also be heard

7.

Be prepared to invest in web-based engagement

In sum:

• The Internet’s potential as a forum for youth political participation has not been realized

• A successful strategy begins with an understanding of what young people actually do online

• Online engagement is less about technology, and more about strengthening the role of young people in politics. This requires much more effort than simply adopting new web-based tools.

Thank you!

Contact information:

Amanda ClarkeOxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

amanda.clarke@oii.ox.ac.uk