Are young people uninterested in and disengaged from politics? Some commentators have argued so.

They point out that, in many countries, young people who are eligible to vote in national elections do so less frequently than older generations. They also point out that, over the last few decades, there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of young people who turn out to vote in national elections.

However, this argument ignores the fact that youth under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote in most countries. Trends in voting behaviour tell us nothing about the political interests of those who are below the age of voting.

In addition, citizens – whether young or old – are able to engage in the political and civic life of their countries in many different ways. Some ways do indeed involve electoral processes (e.g. voting, joining, or campaigning for a particular political party, etc.). These are what are called "conventional" forms of political engagement. However, there are also many "non-conventional" forms of action that can be taken, for example, participating in political protests and marches, signing petitions, writing political articles or blogs, and liking and sharing political articles on social media. And there are other forms of engagement that are focused more directly on providing help to people in need, helping to solve community problems or raising money for good causes. These forms of engagement are perhaps better termed "civic" rather than "political" actions because they sidestep formal politics entirely.

Importantly, both non-conventional and civic action can be used by youth who are below the age of voting. And numerous studies have shown that many young people are strongly committed to both non-conventional and civic action.

One very interesting aspect of youth activism concerns the specific topics on which this activism tends to be focused. Many youth choose not to engage with conventional politics at all (mainly because they think that politicians are not interested in what youth have to say, and they believe that conventional political engagement is ineffective in bringing about real change anyway). So many young people instead choose to focus their energies on single issues or causes about which they have strong feelings. At the global level, they may be concerned about climate change, pollution, global inequalities, the greed of multinational companies, racism, or human rights, while at the local level, they may be concerned about transport facilities, littering, recycling facilities, or youth amenities.

It is notable that young people’s interest in global issues is often very pronounced. These issues are frequently experienced as having considerable personal meaning and relevance, and are pursued using forms of political and civic action that are very different from those that are used by older generations.

However, we must avoid making overgeneralizations based on studies that have been conducted in Western democracies (which is where most of the research has taken place). This is because the lives, concerns and range of political and civic activities that youth undertake often differ from one country to another.

These differences stem from the specific circumstances of the countries in which they live, and also from the design of political institutions within those countries. For example, the importance that young people attribute to conventional politics tends to be lower in countries in which there are longstanding democratic traditions and higher in countries in which democratic processes have been strengthened in recent years. In addition, political institutions can be designed in such a way that they either provide plenty of opportunities for youth to participate and contribute (e.g. through youth consultations or youth representatives), or they can be designed to inhibit, restrict, or even prevent the possibilities for youth to contribute. Also, all countries have their own specific internal cultural and political concerns and preoccupations which influence patterns of youth engagement.

However, across all countries, the education that young people receive at school can be very important for their engagement. We know that when schools enable students to raise social, civic or political issues in the classroom that are of concern to them, allow them to discuss controversial issues, encourage them to express their own opinions and to listen to one another, and allow them to explore a variety of different perspectives, students acquire higher levels of political interest and knowledge, and this boosts the likelihood of their being politically and civically engaged in the future. It is also beneficial for students’ future engagement if schools provide opportunities for them to contribute to formal decision-making within the school, for example, through class representatives, student councils, and student representation on working groups.

What students learn in class at school is also very important. For example, being taught at school about the various ways in which youth can participate both politically and civically boosts the likelihood that they will sign petitions, participate in boycotts, follow political news, engage in charitable fundraising, and attend community meetings. And when students attend multi-ethnic schools and develop friendships with other students whose families have migrated from other countries, they develop more tolerant attitudes toward people from other cultural backgrounds, and they also become more globally minded. There is clearly a great deal that schools can do to foster and promote young people’s political and civic engagement.

I myself think that we have a great deal to be optimistic about in relationship to youth engagement. One very positive feature of their engagement today is precisely their concern for the global community. Research into young people’s sense of global citizenship is still in its infancy. However, the studies that have been conducted so far have shown that youth who have a high level of global-mindedness are much more likely to be tolerant of cultural differences, appreciative of cultural diversity, supportive of global human rights and humanitarian needs, and willing to contribute to international humanitarian relief efforts. They are also more concerned for the environment and are more likely to engage in pro-environmental activities. In my view, all of these are incredibly important outcomes for the future well-being of the world.

Here are just five inspirational examples of the many ways in which young people around the world are currently engaging with political and civic issues.