Teens aren’t as disengaged as you may think: What adults get wrong about adolescents’ civic contributions

Young people don’t all contribute in the same way, and understanding the broader picture is the starting point for adults who want to support them.

By: Kimia Shirzad, Penn State and Jen Agans, Penn State, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 8, 2026

Words: 1,049

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

By Kimia Shirzad, Penn State and Jen Agans, Penn State

A teenager scrolls through their phone at the dinner table, barely looks up and answers questions with one-word replies. For many adults, that image has come to stand for a larger fear: that today’s young people are disconnected from others and may be uninterested in the world around them. Concerns about declining civic participation often deepen that worry.

As researchers who study …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us