Youth activism has become more visible in Marin County as students find new ways to make their voices heard. Through the influence of social media, organized protests, and participation in local concerns such as the development of Memorial Park, young people are speaking out against issues that are significant to them. 

In a study at the Harvard Kennedy School, nonviolent campaigns, such as protests, were more than twice as likely to be effective when they included youth participation. In Marin County, students have contributed to these efforts by organizing walkouts and advocating for issues they are passionate about, such as politics and national issues affecting their community. 

San Anselmo Mayor Steve Burdo believes that youth participation is vital to shaping the future of Marin County by influencing conversation and adding perspective. 

“There’s a lot right now that wouldn’t make anyone fearful for the future, right? But what gives me hope is seeing our youth step up and add their voices to the discussion,” Burdo said.

Youth can add new ideas to the discussion of our future, which adult government officials have previously dominated. Leadership of students in protests and demonstrations causes a growing action of demand, which forces older generations to address relevant issues. 

“Youth activism really adds a lot of depth to the discussion. Because a lot of times it’s adults making decisions for everybody in the town, which is why it’s really important to have the youth voice present in those conversations,” Burdo said.

With consistently high usage of social media apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, Youth tend to get most of their information from digital platforms. As reported by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, 77 percent of youth expressed that they receive political facts from social media. 

Archie Williams sophomore class president Alexis Hinsdale believes that social media can help connect youth and spread information rapidly. 

“Information spread really quickly, all of ASB scrambled to get their thoughts out there and spread publicity by making an Instagram specifically for activism. I think everyone is really connected through social media, which helped spread information about the protest,” Alexis said.

On January 30th, thousands of student participants responded to ICE violence in Minneapolis, including hundreds of Archie Williams students, representing a national day of action. Students organized the walkout by coordinating online and discussing details about the protest. 

“The ICE walkout connected people in our community; since Marin is so privileged, it has the ability to be ignorant. Not many people were talking about the ICE brutality, and we used this protest as a chance to bring it up,” Alexis said. 

Another example of student activism in Marin includes a group of around 35 students across Marin who walked out of school in favor of

Palestinian civilians in 2023. This walkout serves as a local example of youth engagement in politics and how students used their voice to discuss international issues. Although this walkout contained a small number of students, it represented how local student activism can advocate for national issues. 

“Student activism has always played a vital role in shaping our democracy. And when young people engage thoughtfully and peacefully, they remind us that civic participation is not reserved for any one age group. It belongs to all of us,” Burdo said.

While social media can spread information faster, it does not always lead to immediate action or change. Archie Williams Principal Jacob Gran expresses how apathy and injustice persist, despite increased political awareness. 

“There’s still injustice that is happening, and there are still some of the same challenges that certain groups of people are experiencing. Do we know more about it? Yes, but does that change it? In some instances, it does. I think it depends on the conversations behind the activism,” Gran said. 

Students in Marin County have numerous opportunities to get involved politically and express their opinions, such as on youth commissions and school boards. Youth voices have impacted decisions within local community projects such as rebuilding Memorial Park. 

“When we were in the process of rebuilding Memorial Park, we had all of these forums and opportunities for students to engage, and they did. And that’s why we have such an amazing park to this day — because our students raised their voice and said, ‘Hey, this is what we want to see at a park that we use,'” Burdo said.

Though social media can be beneficial for involving students in politics, without conversation, the impact lacks significance. To obtain a future with diversity and shared opinions, youth must continue to collaborate in discussions on topics important in our community. 

Principal Jacob Gran expresses the importance of meaningful conversations and how they shape the impact of activism. 

“There is a realm of social media connecting us in really different, unique ways. And then there’s the other part, where we still have to engage each other in the actual community, in person, and have those conversations. I think the future really relies on students having those conversations in person, and continuing that dialogue, and finding how people want to support the community, and how they can do that together,” Gran said 

As students continue to respond to national and international events, youth activism creates an increased sense of awareness, responsibility, and motivation. Students can continue to balance creating influence with responsibility by having meaningful conversations and advocating for what they believe in.