The study by the MacArthur Research Network on Youth and Participatory Politics found large numbers of young people across racial and ethnic groups are taking part in “participatory politics” — actions such as starting a political group online, circulating a blog about a political issue, or forwarding political videos to friends. However, 84 percent of those surveyed believe they and their friends would benefit from learning more about how to tell if online information was trustworthy.
The national survey questioned 3,000 people ages 15 to 25 from February 2011 through July 2011 on how they use the Internet and social media and how they engage in politics. Unlike earlier studies, this one included large numbers of black, Latino and Asian-American respondents, allowing for unique statistical comparisons across race.
Read the full report here: http://www.macfound.org/press/publications/study-finds-young-people-using-new-media-participatory-politics/