This chapter examines how Gen Z in industrialized democracies engages with public life via digital media amid challenges like climate change and economic precarity. It covers news consumption, digital political campaigns, and cultural engagement through content creation, setting the stage for further discussion on socio-economic and social identity impacts in Chapter 12.
Gen Z’s civic identity is explored amid climate change and extremism, highlighting socio-economic status, affinity groups, and online practices. Changes in political engagement definitions are discussed, impacting socialization and education, building on digital media’s role.
Examining U.S. young adults, this study explores the design and maintenance of personal media across digital platforms and its impact on news use. Through 50 guided interviews using social media, it introduces the concept of personal platform architecture and its relation to digital labor, highlighting how this work often steers users away from news encounters.