 Thursday, October 25, 2001
Bartos Theater The democratic potential of new media depends in part on their capacity to empower groups that historically have had a limited voice in politics. Some American teenagers are now exploring the power of the Internet in imaginative ways. Examples include Peacefire, mobilizing arguments against the censorship effects of software filters; the anti-smoking Truth campaign; the Goth community's organized challenge to the post-Columbine moral panic. These instances of collective political action illustrate something of the way in which digital media have enabled teens to make a difference in national and even international policy debates. This forum will combine scholarly perspectives on teen culture on the Web with front-line accounts by youth activists about how they have deployed the resources of new media. Speakers
|