According to a study by the Springtide Research Institute, a quarter of young people say they feel “very uncomfortable” speaking with adults about politics, pushing them away from being participants in democracy.
Stoddard says the increasing polarization between parties and the spread of unverified information on social media creates a volatile environment.
Educators believe courses like media literacy can help students navigate what they see online.
“They’re really focused on helping young people find verified information about the major issues of the day, helping them try to figure out how candidates stand on those issues and stay away from the sort of personality attacks from some of the personal rhetoric,” said Stoddard.