By any media necessary : the new youth activism /
Henry Jenkins, Sangita Shresthova, Liana Gamber-Thompson, Neta Kligler-Vilenchik, Arely M. Zimmerman ; with an afterword by Elisabeth Soep.
- New York : New York University Press, (c)2016.
- 1 online resource : illustrations.
- Connected youth and digital futures .
Includes bibliographies and index.
Youth voice, media, and political engagement: introducing the core concepts / "Watch 30 minute video on internet, become social activist?" : Kony 2012, invisible children, and the paradoxes of participatory politics / "Decreasing world suck" : harnessing popular culture for fan activism / Between storytelling and surveillance : the precarious public of American Muslim youth / Dreaming citizenship : undocumented youth, coming out, and pathways to participation / Bypassing the ballot box : how libertarian youth are reimagining the political / "It's called giving a shit!" : what counts as "politics"? / Afterword: necessary learning -- Elisabeth Soep. Henry Jenkins -- Sangita Shresthova -- Neta Kligler-Vilenchik -- Sangita Shresthova -- Liana Gamber-Thompson and Arely M. Zimmerman -- Liana Gamber-Thompson -- Henry Jenkins and Sangita Shresthova --
There is a widespread perception that the foundations of American democracy are dysfunctional, public trust in core institutions is eroding, and little is likely to emerge from traditional politics that will shift those conditions. Youth are often seen as emblematic of this crisis-frequently represented as uninterested in political life, ill-informed about current-affairs, and unwilling to register and vote. By Any Media Necessary offers a profoundly different picture of contemporary American youth. Young men and women are tapping into the potential of new forms of communication such as social media platforms, spreadable videos and memes, remixing the language of popular culture, and seeking to bring about political change-by any media necessary. In a series of case studies covering a diverse range of organizations, networks, and movements involving young people in the political process-from the Harry Potter Alliance which fights for human rights in the name of the popular fantasy franchise to immigration rights advocates using superheroes to dramatize their struggles-By Any Media Necessary examines the civic imagination at work. Before the world can change, people need the ability to imagine what alternatives might look like and identify paths by which change can be achieved. Exploring new forms of political activities and identities emerging from the practice of participatory culture, By Any Media Necessary reveals how these shifts in communication have unleashed a new political dynamism in American youth.