First Monday has published an article on The Internet and Youth Political Participation. I have a longer chapter on this subject coming out in November in a volume from MIT Press:

In this article, the authors examine how American youths’ contributions to three online worlds — participatory culture, political consumerism, and civic engagement — function as possible gateways to their increased political participation. Youth involvement in these three online worlds suggests that the Internet creates opportunities for youth involvement in politics and provides a measure of motivation, facilitation, and invitation for that involvement. Nonetheless, for reasons discussed, it remains an open question whether youths will take full advantage of these opportunities.