As demonstrations rage on in Egypt, American young people should be inspired and motivated by the high level of civic activism demonstrated by Egyptian youth.

Unemployment among young people in Egypt hit an astronomical 25 percent, according to The Economist, and adolescents became fed up with inaction from President Hosni Mubarak and his cabinet.

Youth across the nation took to the streets in response to what they believed to be lapses in democracy and incompetence in their government. They shouted from the rooftops, calling for Mubarak’s resignation.

Their voices were heard.

One activist group gaining a voice across Egypt is the April 6 Youth Movement, a group that earned its name for supporting a work protest on that date, according to NPR.

The April 6 Youth Movement is not controlled by a headquarters or a board. The group actually is structured around a staple of “youthdom” around the world: Facebook.

The group’s Facebook page has almost 100,000 members and claims they focus on three key tenets: Democracy, social justice and free and fair elections.

In the shadow of Egypt’s internal strife, a vital question must be asked: Would America’s youth do the same?

Rather than imploring America’s young people to violent uprisings, we urge self-examination. Unfortunately, young people in the United States are far too ambivalent towards perceived injustices.

A 2010 Harvard study found that only 27 percent of people between ages 18 and 29 said they definitely would vote. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that just 20 percent of people under age 30 voted in the 2010-midterm elections.

Young people in the United States must become more socially aware in their own nation and around the world. Civic activism starts at the ballot box, but it most certainly does not end there.

America’s youth must make a concerted effort to become aware of the candidates for whom they vote, the issues for which they stand and the processes by which decisions are made. It’s for our own good.

The Egyptian people recognized that they were not reaping the intended benefits of democracy, so they reacted.

The youth of any nation is a powerful voice, but only if it chooses to exercise its right to speak up. Unless Americans make the effort to educate themselves on those processes, we will continue to be a nation that disregards its youth vote.

And without that youth vote, we may well fall victim to the same political stagnation plaguing democracy in Egypt; we may find ourselves requiring the same degree of change and political revolution.

The only difference: We may not do anything about it.