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Youth-led media is the term used to describe how young people use media outlets such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, written publications, and websites to “express themselves, explore their identities, and connect with peers—to be active creators as well as consumers of culture.” Many youths have taken to Web publishing, social networks, digital video production and online video distribution, instant messaging, online communities, virtual worlds, multiplayer role-playing games, and other Internet-based media to connect with millions of other youths around the world. Young adults are able to connect and share ideas with others globally in this age of technology, prompting a desire to learn digital production and communication skills. Of the twelve million teens who are present online between the ages of 12-17, or about 57%, say they have experience creating content for the internet, a study done by the Pew Research Center showed. Young adults are actively seeking information, “adopting, appropriating, and inventing ways to participate in cultural production.” Youths in more impoverished countries with little to no internet access and in less-privileged areas are less likely to be able to participate in youth-led media, but many find ways around the barriers barring them from participating with digital media. Young groups of people from all different nationalities, socio-economic backgrounds, and beliefs are able to contribute to the world of digital information, creating youth citizenship, civil engagement, and political involvement.

History
The efforts from youths form the basis of an international movement born in the early 1970s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. by the publishing arm of a left-wing, teen-led organization called Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor, which existed from 1970 to 1980. One of its founders went on to form the New York City-based Youth Communication, a youth-led media program for young people in foster care. Another organization in the early movement was Children's Express, which operates programs around the world.

In the early 1990s this movement gained new expression in the United States in response to growing media bias against youth, i.e. the hyper-sensationalization of youth violence ala "superpredators", and continued to grow due to the Columbine shootings. The first online, teen-written newspaper, The Tattoo, began in 1994 with a promise of giving a voice to teens. This movement features hundreds of individuals and organizations working across the United States to promote the roles of young people in society and in the media. Demonstrating the wide reach of youth-led media a program in Oakland, California called Youth Radio has been featured across national media outlets in the U.S., including NPR and PBS. Other examples include the Blunt Youth Radio Project provides an hour-long, weekly, youth-produced public affairs radio show on WMPG in Portland, Maine. A general interest magazine called Nang! is produced and distributed on a quarterly basis to 14-21 year olds in London. Speak Africa is a Pan-African youth-produced multi-media communication initiative that works in print, radio, TV, the Internet and community theatre, and the Vera Project is an all-ages, non-profit youth music organization in Seattle, Washington.

There are currently youth-led media programs and organizations around the world, including Central and South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.