The influence of peers, too, may be commonly overestimated. Some research suggests that the influence of both schools and peers is indirect. It’s the media—especially online media—that turn out to be...

The influence of peers, too, may be commonly overestimated. Some research suggests that the influence of both schools and peers is indirect. It’s the media—especially online media—that turn out to be especially important. Young people use the media to learn about political issues, share information with others, and discuss politics outside the confines of family and school and the influence of their immediate peers (Lee, Shah, and McLeod 2012).