all computer and Internet users" – three-fourths of Americans under the age of 18 are able to access a computer and, on average, use it for half an hour a day. As the Internet and computers have become more accessible to youth, such methods have been used to seek and find information and share it on social media sites. Websites such as Facebook and YouTube not only allow youth who don't subscribe to newspapers or watch the evening news to stay on top of the polls, but also allows them to share their opinions of the polls and candidates. If the use of technology were to be fully integrated into politics, the youth and adult groups would be equally active in politics. Online news media, in particular, is believed to have a positive impact on young citizens due to its interactivity. It not only provides them with the information they need to form their political beliefs, become more informed regarding democracy, and to gain a better understanding of current issues, but it also provides them with a platform to discuss these ideas with other individuals, not only on a more localized scale but also on a global scale. Legislation In the United States, there has been legislation passed to help youth access the vote. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), often called the "motor-voter" law, passed in 1993, allows those 18 years and older to register to vote at a driver's license office or public assistance agency. The law also required states to accept a uniform mail-in voter registration application. Additionally, some states have extended the period in which citizens can vote instead of requiring a vote within 12 hours on a single day. Two cities in Maryland, Takoma Park and Hyattsville, allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections. See also Youth politics Youth suffrage Young Voters for the President Apathy is Boring, a Canadian non-profit and non-partisan organization that promotes youth involvement in politics Further reading Caplan, Sheri J. Old Enough: How 18-Year-Olds Won the Vote & Why it Matters. Heath Hen, 2020. . John B. Holbein and D. Sunshine Hillygus. 2020. Making Young Voters: Converting Civic Attitudes into Civic Action. Cambridge University Press, . Grinspan, Jon. (2016) The Virgin Vote: How Young Americans Made Democracy Social, Politics Personal, and Voting Popular in the Nineteenth Century. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press). References External links Youth