The Civic Web ― Young People, the Internet, and Civic Participation

There has been widespread concern in contemporary Western societies about decliningengagement in civic life; people are less inclined to vote, to join political parties, to campaignfor social causes, or to trust political processes. Young people in particular are frequentlydescribed as alienated or apathetic. Some have looked optimistically to new media -- andparticularly the Internet -- as a means of revitalizing civic life and democracy. Governments,political parties, charities, NGOs, activists, religious and ethnic groups, and grassrootsorganizations have created a range of youth-oriented websites that encourage widely divergent formsof civic engagement and use varying degrees of interactivity. But are young people really apatheticand lacking in motivation? Does the Internet have the power to re-engage those disenchanted withpolitics and civic life?

Based on a major research project funded by the EuropeanCommission, this book attempts to understand the role of the Internet in promoting young people'sparticipation. Examples are drawn from Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey,and the United Kingdom -- countries offering contrasting political systems and cultural contexts.The book also addresses broader questions about the meaning of civic engagement, the nature of newforms of participation, and their implications for the future of civic life.

David Buckingham is Professor of Media and Communications at Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK. He is the author of The Material Child: Growing Up in Consumer Culture and other books.