Introduction

Young people in Europe are increasingly involved in activities aimed at engagement in political and social issues. There are indications of enhanced activity in social media, and action through youth and activist organisations. This introductory chapter presents the context, conceptual frameworks, objectives, and key questions considered throughout the book. We start with the premise that young people are engaged in public life (mostly through social media) and are aware of political and societal issues. How they engage, and the type of competencies required to be meaningfully engaged, forms the focus of this research. To understand this better, we must first outline our approaches to participation/engagement and media literacy and then consider how these are influenced by deliberation, agonistic exchange, activism, and media ethics.