Young people are constantly confronted with pictures and ideas of what it means to be young. Some of these ideas concern political interest and involvement. The prevailing view, which is evident in research and media, is that young people in general are not interested in politics. But those who are politically engaged are portrayed as radical in their views, and as more prone to using radical methods than grown-ups. This view is connected to the negative picture of the "young activist", which is related to the historically based idea of young people as a potential threat to the established society. Furthermore, there exists an image that young people are only interested in politics when it is considered trendy. In this article, the author addresses how some of the young people in Attac and the Social Forum movement have experienced the expectations such ideas give rise to, and how their political engagement is formed in interaction with such ideals.