When
more than 3 million voters under age 30 turned out for recent caucuses
and primaries, they staked a claim as a major force shaping this
historic presidential election. Because so many leave college with, on
average, $20,000 in debt during a recession economy and are entering a
job market with fewer opportunities to earn a decent living, energized
young Americans are yearning to help solve America's problems, address
the mounting issues of income disparity, and contribute to the health
and well-being of their communities. At the same time, a call for
enhanced national public service is part of the presidential
candidates' campaign platforms.

Thus, this is a singular moment in which to demand a larger and
bolder vision to propel all Americans, across generations, fully into
the 21st century. It's time for a Digital New Deal.

Even though we inhabit a technologically saturated environment,
America is not keeping pace in its capacity as a technological world
leader. In the array of studies comparing Internet infrastructures
across nations, the highest America ranks in any of them is 4th - in
network readiness to compete globally - but 24th among industrialized
nations in broadband penetration to U.S. households. These rankings
show that America has a ways to go to remain competitive in the dynamic
global economy, not to mention protecting itself from cyber-terrorism
and other Internet high jinks.

Our next president can help reconstruct America's fragmented and
relatively weak public communications infrastructure by using the most
effective tool our youth wield - the power and depth of their digital
fluency.

This eager, highly knowledgeable, connected and multitasking first
generation of digital natives - "millennials" coming of age now who
have used computers and the Internet since childhood - can be put to
work in a WPA-inspired Digital New Deal to build out a networked
national public commons that bolsters our international competitiveness.

Free of commercial data-mining and the ultra-marketing of social
networks like MySpace and Facebook, this new online public sphere would
evolve into a robust multitude of open channels and spaces where people
could safely share ideas, experiment with innovative design, and debate
issues and policies. The talents and organizing skills of the
millennial generation, whose numbers now exceed their Baby Boomer
parents, can be harnessed to connect citizens across online communities
and amplify America's independent media voices and visions globally. As
a benefit, these Digital New Deal-makers will earn a living wage, be
able to retire college debt and develop a lifelong commitment to the
public good.

What will this work look like? Youth-driven teams will design tools,
social networks and online environments that bolster and stimulate
community-building and citizen participation. They would work with
information technology specialists to democratize the next generation
of broadband access. And they can creatively partner with nonprofits,
public schools and communities to build technological and networking
capacity that will help us address challenges such as climate change,
lack of health care and economic hardship.

The Digital New Deal will also foster a much-needed
intergenerational knowledge exchange. Professional development goes
both ways - young people showing their elders how to take advantage of
Web 2.0 while public sector leaders and educators pass on the
experience and wisdom they have gained working as organization
builders. The expertise and enthusiasm of millennials and Boomers are
complementary and can transform America's public communications sphere
- if we make this knowledge exchange a priority.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt put millions of Americans to work
designing, building and repairing our country's roads, parks, buildings
and schools, they were beautifully constructed for generations to use
and enjoy. The construction of a widely accessible broadband digital
network now ranks as equally important with that of President
Roosevelt's public works infrastructure expansion in the last century.

Like other moments in American history when far-reaching public
works initiatives were implemented, there will be cynicism and disdain
along with relentless fear-mongering to bring down this "activist"
government program. But the benefits of a Digital New Deal are vast and
cannot be underestimated.

Creative potential will be unleashed through new media and social
networking pathways in ways we have never experienced, influencing
where we live and how we work. Young people will be able to acquire
entrepreneurial and leadership skills needed for a 21st century
workforce, and the public sector will be recharged and better prepared
to handle problems of our time.

As the economy falters and technological innovation slows, the
Digital New Deal can translate into trillions of dollars for a U.S.
economy wired for the online demands of the 21st century. It will
create new skill sets and jobs for people who are now struggling, and
bring new participants into the information economy. Without a
large-scale public sector agenda, private enterprise will simply not
provide this on its own.

Imagine after the 2008 election, a swarm of arts and culture
leaders, public interest and policy advocates, energetic young software
developers, philanthropists, media reformers and forward-thinking
politicians banding together in a broad coalition to construct this
Digital New Deal. How this investment in our future would be
implemented- including public and private partnerships - is a debate
well worth having.

Helen De Michiel is the national co-director of the National
Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC), based in San Francisco. Orriginally published in the San Francisco Chronicle, April 10, 2008