CT development and youth civil-political participation: global evidence (2010–2022)

Abstract

This study examines whether the development of information and communication technology is associated with youth civil and political participation across 154 countries in 2010–2022. Drawing on digital democracy and the Civic Voluntarism Model, it employs a cross-national time-series design with two-way fixed-effects models, with robustness cheques using panel-corrected standard errors, feasible generalised least squares, and System GMM. Youth participation is measured using the Political and Civil Participation domain of the Youth Development Index. The results show that ICT development, captured through a composite index of internet use, mobile subscriptions, and broadband access, is positively associated with youth participation. This relationship is stronger in less economically developed countries and in more democratic contexts, indicating that the association between ICT and youth participation varies across broader structural and institutional conditions. The findings underscore the relevance of digital inclusion for youth engagement while warranting caution given the observational design and measurement limits.