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Civic Engagement

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Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement and Political Awareness in the Youth of America Change is inevitable and the popular one hit wonder, Video Killed the Radio Star, echoes a nostalgic desire to appreciate the past. The simple, yet meaningful verse, “we can’t rewind we’ve gone too far,” drives home the notion that the past is in the past, and one can only move forward. The song directly relates to technological changes in music at that time period. The lyrics give the impression radio will be replaced by visually stimulating music videos; however, the future has proved that radio has not been replaced; music has merely been enhanced by the continuous change of technological advancements. Political scientist and professor, Robert Putnam illustrates in his book, Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, how one of the primary culprits in the decline of political awareness and civic engagement is the new media, for example, the Internet. Further studies suggest this is not necessarily the case. Video Killed the Radio Star mirrors the relentless argument of whether the mass media has hindered or assisted in political awareness and civic activity in adolescents and young adults. The radio made people famous, and even after music videos became popular, music was still streamed through a radio and continues to be used to this day. Studies have shown that civic engagement and political awareness has declined, at all age levels, and yet there is evidence that the mass media can have a positive effect on cultivating social capital, especially in the interest of young voters in America.
The issue at hand is not mass media, but how mass media can be used as a means to stay informed on community issues and how it can create a sense of community. In the article, America’s Youth and Community Engagement: How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds, the authors begin by providing troubling evidence, “Voter turnout in


Bibliography: Freedom, Mark. "Towards Civic Renewal." Journal of Gerontological Social Work 28.3 (1997): 243-63. EBSCOhost. The Haworth Press, Inc., 11 Oct. 2008. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J083v28n03_08>. Pasek, Josh, Kate Kenski, Daniel Romer, and Kathleen H. Jamieson. "America 's Youth and Community Engagement: How Use of Mass Media Is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds | DeepDyve." DeepDyve - Millions of Articles At Your Fingertips. Sage, 27 Apr. 2006. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. <http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/sage/america-s-youth-and-community-engagement-how use-of-mass-media-is-0a31fDAHlC>. Xenos, Michael, and Lance Bennett. "The Disconnection in Online Politics." Information, Communication & Society 10.4 (2007): 443-64. EBSCOhost. Taylor & Francis Group, Aug. 2007. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f9c6d494-4009-4530-88c5 670db88a4ef3%40sessionmgr111&vid=6&hid=12>. Zuniga, Homero G., and Sebastian Valenzuela. "The Mediating Path to a Stronger Citizenship: Online and Offline Networks, Weak Ties, and Civic Engagement." Communication Research 38.3 (2010): 397-421. Sage Journals Online. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. <http://crx.sagepub.com/content/38/3/397>.
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