According to a survey by the CREDOC - Centre for Research and Documentation on Living Conditions (Centre de Recherche pour l’Étude et l’Observation des Conditions de Vie), 99% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 24-year-olds are web users across all types of connection.

A survey steered by the INJEP / DJEPVA and carried out by the CREDOC in October 2016 emphasises the high level of involvement of young people in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and social networks . The survey underlines the rise of  forms of mobilisation, such as signing an on-line petition,  which is is an indication of that interest in new technologies.

Furthermore, in 2020 the INJEP National Institute for Youth and Non-Formal Education (Institut National de la Jeunesse et de l’Éducation Populaire) published an article on youth political participation: La participation politique en ligne des jeunes à travers le prisme des inégalités socioculturelles [Online participation of young people through the prism of socio-cultural inequality].  The analysis highlights that:

Digital and social media appear to be the main bases and vectors of youth political participation today. "Having signed a petition or defended a cause via the internet, a blog or a social network" is 2019, the most cited form of participation by 18-30 year olds, ahead of bénévolat, collective action or, even more so, partisan activism (CRÉDOC, 2019).

 In recent months, the 'global climate strike' or the Gilets jaunes [yellow jacket] movement - two advocacy actions that have strongly mobilised young people, or more precisely some of their components (Collectif d'enquête sur les Gilets jaunes, 2019 [Collective for the investigation of the Yellow jackets]) - have highlighted the importance of digital tools in collective mobilisation. This digital participation, which is constantly increasing (CRÉDOC, 2019), therefore contradicts, or at least nuances, the media and political discourses describing youth as "disengaged, apolitical, individualistic and apathetic" (Becquet, Goyette, 2014)

Faced with the ubiquity of the Internet and digital tools in the daily lives of young people, the public authorities are encouraging the use of ICT and education in these new means of communication, which contribute to the development of youth participation.

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Digital consultations and participation

• The Ministry of Education has supported the launch of the "Isoloir.net" project, in partnership with local authorities, digital associations and scientific institutions. The aim of this participatory digital tool is to promote awareness and civic action among young people aged 14 to 18 and to bring young people's opinions on the major debates in society to the public arena. "Isoloir. Net" is an active educational tool that is part of the "serious games" trend, applications developed using video game technologies but which are not intended solely for entertainment purposes.

• As part of the French component of the Conference on the Future of Europe in 2021, an online consultation "Parole aux Jeunes" (Give the voice to the youth) was organised by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in partnership with Make.org. It questioned 50,000 French people aged between 15 and 30 years old and produced 2198 proposals on their vision of Europe and the European Union.

In parallel with digital participation, the public authorities, in particular the ministries in charge of education and youth via the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education (INJEP), are conducting numerous studies and research on the use of new technologies among young people and "digital citizenship":

• The magazine, "digital school" (l’Ecole numérique), a magazine for the appropriation of information and communication technologies (ICTE) within the educational community, raises teachers' awareness of the use of ICTE and provides them with concrete resources for the classroom. This magazine is part of the Canopé network, which publishes multimedia educational resources under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research.
• The issue of digital technology, particularly as a tool for youth involvement and participation, is one of the themes of the INJEP. The Institute analyses and produces knowledge on new ICTE practices, but also monitors information on these issues.

Civic Techs that use digital technologies to engage citizens can enable young people to participate in consultations.

This is the case of Make.org, or Civic Tech, which regularly organises citizen consultations on different societal topics with the aim of engaging citizens in the transformation of society. Make.org organised in 2018 a first citizen consultation on the Great Cause "A chance for every young person". This consultation gathered 220,000 contributors (1,544,000 votes and 1,663 proposals grouped into 46 big ideas)

A new consultation has been initiated in 2022 "What solutions for each young person to find his or her place in society", the action plan of which will be announced shortly.

These consultations are open to all, with 26% of young people aged 16 to 34 taking part in the latest "youth solutions" consultation.