Designing for youth civic engagement in social media

In this paper, we identify different forms and meanings of civic participation found among young people in social media. This is key knowledge for the design and evaluation of social media applications that support youth engagement in society. Such knowledge is particularly useful for stakeholders who aim to create online arenas where youth can express and strengthen their community involvement. We draw on earlier research and the results of four recent group interviews to define the characteristics of civic engagement among youth in social media. On basis of the characteristics we suggest nine design recommendations to support youth civic engagement in social media.