Building Bridges

Abstract

The exploration of social networking sites (SNS) offers great potential for understanding novel forms of youth civic engagement within the 21st century. SNS can foster a young person’s social capital by connecting them to others with different backgrounds, thereby exposing them to alternative perspectives and lived experiences within a growingly polarized political environment. This study provides an innovative framework for examining the communication trends and perceived sociopolitical benefits for adolescents engaging diverse groups in a youth-led social-justice-oriented SNS. The author linked three school-based youth participatory action research projects involving 54 high school students through an SNS. Employing a mixed-method approach (i.e., social network analysis, key student interviews), results indicate an increase in communication between students in different schools and an increase in levels of civic participation. In addition, interviewees reported perceived gains in communication, perspective taking, and sociopolitical awareness. Implications for practitioners, as well as future research, are discussed.