Teens share many of the same political concerns as adults. By the time today’s teens are in middle and high school, they typically have opinions on political parties and social issues. Historically, young students would pick up information and even opinions from their parents, but with social media, they have access to more perspectives which shape their own. Notably, the gender divide in political views is already hitting teens; a national survey of 12th graders shows more boys identify as conservative than girls, while more girls oppositely identify as liberal. And with their expanded worldview online, they care about a lot of the same things adults do, like the future of the economy—because it certainly affects their own future. Though, they’re also more uniquely concerned about topics like mental health, animal rights, and cyberbullying, according to YPulse data. (Vox)
📊 YPulse data: 72% of 13-17-year-olds agree, “I’m inspired when I see young political activists trying to make a difference”
