More than a quarter of young people say social media posts influence their politics
More than a quarter (28%) of social media users aged between 18 and 24 agree social media has led to them changing their ballot preference. Furthermore almost half (47%) of the same demographic said social media was now the most important political campaigning platform.
The findings are featured in Connected Lives, a survey of 1,006 adults conducted by Censuswide for Pure Telecom.
The report examined the crossover between politics and social media and how it impacts public opinion. Enthusiasm for social media was not consistent across all demographics. Overall, 38% of respondents said social media was the most important political campaigning platform and less than a fifth (19%) said it would affect how they voted.
More than a quarter of social media users (26%) credited it with helping them see alternative political points of view, while 32% said it supported their knowledge of election and referendum issues. Despite this, just 41% said they fact-checked political social media content, while slightly more than a quarter (27%) admitted to only following people and accounts whose political opinions they agreed with.
The survey showed that there an appetite for politicians to have a presence on social media. Almost half (49%) of social media users said they liked politicians to use platforms like Facebook and TikTok because it made them more accessible, while 49% liked them to use social media as it kept them up-to-date with progress and opinions.
It’s not just election issues that adults in Ireland are interested in seeing from politicians. Almost half (47%) of social media users would like politicians to give more personal insights on social platforms to make them more relatable. Meanwhile, one-third of adults (33%) believe that politicians should make TikTok videos to appeal to younger generations.
When it comes to voicing their own opinions, the population is less sure. While 27% of respondents overall said they shared their political opinions on social media, only 13% of women did so.
Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Social media is making politics more accessible to the general public, while also helping people to get up-to-speed on important political issues. It can help the population to stay informed on local issues and developments, while also having a greater awareness of national issues, elections and referenda. However, with so many admitting to being influenced politically by social media, it is incumbent on all of us to make sure we carry out some fact-checking before forming an opinion.
“With voters set to return to the ballot boxes at least twice over the next 12 months, staying connected and informed will be important for all of us in deciding which way to vote.”
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