Youth as educators

In this entry, the authors offer a brief introduction to competing and similar criteria scholars have presented as characteristics of informal learning. Then, the authors trace some of the scholarly concerns expressed over the past century related to advances in technologies and communications (such as the radio and motion pictures) and the potential for negative or harmful informal learning among youth. Next, using online archives and relevant literature, the authors illustrate that despite the concerns that adults present, young people are often innovators and educators who utilize available technologies and communication mediums to advance social justice causes and engage in democratic processes.