Rethinking civic education in the digital era: How media, school, and youth negotiate the meaning of citizenship

Abstract

This study clarifies the evolving notion of civic education that resulted from technological advancement. We investigated Singaporean young people's views on civic education by contrasting the roles of schools, families and friends, and social media in shaping their understanding. Through focus groups, we found that there are contentions on the definitions, approaches, and meanings of civic education. We conclude that in view of the inevitable diversity digital technologies tend to present, young people's civic learning might be limited by the pressure and confusion coming along with the exposure to diverse views, the tendency to retreat from formal politics, and the lack of effective school intervention into the social media space.