Navigating the Activist Techno-Social Landscape: Washington, DC High School Students' Engagement with Social Media Content

In recent decades, youth activism has experienced a global resurgence, playing a pivotal role in advocating for social and political change across diverse national and international contexts. Drawing on empirical data from a study of high school students in diverse Washington, DC public schools, this paper offers a unique perspective on youth engagement with activism. Findings include insights from students not identified as traditional activists, deepening the understanding of youth perspectives beyond established activist circles. We used thematic analysis of 20 group discussions (GDs), each consisting of three to six high school students (ages 14–18; 72 participants total). Participants were recruited from public high schools across the city, with the goal of including youth from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Based on thematic analysis of transcripts, the findings show that D.C youth engage with activism in complex ways, navigating local experiences and global concerns, adapting global narratives to local contexts, distinguishing between perceived ‘good’ and ‘bad’ forms of activism, and expressing critical concerns about the commercialization of movements. While literature widely addresses youth disengagement from politics and civic action, our findings demonstrate the ways in which youth possess insightful understandings of activism and exhibit significant engagement within social and digital spheres. This research uniquely illuminates how high school youth in Washington, DC interpret and engage with activism, accounting for the interplay of their everyday experiences, global trends, and local contexts of place, race, and generation. These findings provide essential groundwork for nuanced international youth research. They highlight how direct exposure to global issues embeds into and shapes youths' perspectives on civic engagement, and informs culturally responsive approaches for educators and policymakers seeking to cultivate meaningful youth participation.