Young people often get a bum rap for turning their backs on society's problems. Studies show that they vote less than older people and express less trust in others. But a closer, more nuanced look shows that many youth do care and are involved. And increasingly, they are turning to the Internet as a gateway to civic engagement.

In fact, a low-profile civic upsurge has already taken root on the Net. Hundreds of websites -- created for and sometimes by young people -- encourage and facilitate youth involvement in everything from voting, to school and community improvement, to journalism, to political activism. Taken together, they constitute an emerging genre on the Internet that could loosely be called "youth civic culture."

In this new media culture, youth are more than just consumers of digital content; they are also active participants and creators, developing content, debating and interacting with others, and taking action -- even launching their own initiatives and organizations.

For a sense of how young people are using the Internet to interact with the world and to change it, explore our website’s electronic "tour" of this vibrant new terrain.

You can start by visiting our youth Voting page where we show how the Internet is encouraging participation in the electoral process. Then use the green navigation bar to the left to visit other areas of youth online engagement.

And once you've finished exploring our website, be sure to visit our Project page where you can learn more about youth civic culture by reading our full project report -- "Youth as E-Citizens: Engaging the Digital Generation."

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