This is part of our Youth Expertise Series, in which young people use their experiences to write about how we can improve youth civic engagement and civic life.
Youth who live in places where they perceive few opportunities for civic engagement see fewer political ads, which is connected to lower voter turnout.
Our research finds that, while youth in civic deserts have less digital access, it can be a valuable tool in spurring their political engagement.
This research, which originally appeared in The Conversation, outlines our merging study of "civic deserts" and the challenge they present to engaging young people.