NYC Civic Org is Educating Teen Voters About Online Political Misinformation

Posted by The 74 on August 6, 2024

YVote, a nonprofit by and for young people, is working to combat media illiteracy among Gen Z ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

As political misinformation and disinformation intensify online, civic organizations are tackling media illiteracy among young people ahead of the November presidential election. A Deloitte survey found that over half of Gen Z teens get their news from social media, and a poll last year found that 60% of 13- to 17-year-olds are likely to believe conspiracy theories online. This means young and first-time voters are especially vulnerable to election misinformation.

Organizations like YVote are working to equip Gen Z with the skills to differentiate between what’s real and what’s fake online.

YVote was founded in New York City in 2017 out of concern for low youth voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election, when only 46% of 18- to 29-year-olds nationwide cast a ballot. The organization is youth-centered and youth-led, with a core team of six that includes two high schoolers. The main facilitator is Mukilan Muthukumar, a senior at Hunter College High School. Since its launch, the organization has worked with over 1,500 students across 70 schools.

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