Social Media as a Critical Pedagogical Tool: Examining the Relationship between Youths’ Online Sociopolitical Engagements and Their Critical Consciousness

Abstract

Social injustices are commonly discussed on social media, presenting opportunities for youth to engage with this content and develop into engaged citizens. While much has been written about youths’ online activism, less is known about how engaging with sociopolitical content may build their capacity for activist work. We explore the extent to which youths’ engagement with sociopolitical content on various social media platforms is associated with critical consciousness—an awareness of inequities, the motivation to address them, and action that combats injustice. To investigate this relationship, we conducted a survey with 339 high school-aged youths. While sociopolitical engagement on some platforms was positively associated with youths’ critical consciousness measures, sociopolitical engagement on other platforms was negatively associated. Qualitative post-hoc analysis was used to suggest reasons for possible differences. In light of our findings, we discuss the relationship between online sociopolitical engagement and critical consciousness and suggest directions for future work.