Voting but not much more. That's the preliminary finding of a study by The Media Education Lab at Temple University. Young people say they'll find out about candidates and vote, but their definition of active citizenship doesn't usually extend to working on a campaign or other forms of community activism:

Although students are receiving political information, and over half plan to vote in national elections, most do not see themselves as likely to be engaged in politics or in serving social causes in their communities.

The preliminary findings also suggest that young people who try extra-curriculars involving civic life during high school have a better chance of carrying on with a wider active citizenship later on in life. Just as in college, I suspect, the largely passive model of citizenship common to American education seems to be communicated well to many students. In this, if in nothing else, it is possible students are learning exactly what we are teaching.

The Lab works from an excellent definition of its key term:

Media literacy is defined here as an expanded conceptualization of literacy, one that recognizes the multiplicity of visual, verbal and electronic symbol systems used in contemporary society for communication and self expression. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media messages. Media education is the provision of educational experiences—including media analysis and production activities-- that support the acquisition of media literacy. #

Schools, however, don't have a similarly far-reaching definition of active citizenship driving their practices. [0 & P]