Does politics speak to the young?

As UNITElive has reported before, young people are among the groups least likely to vote. Many young people say they feel that politics simply doesn’t speak to them.

 
But a new Ipsos Mori poll suggests that social media may be the key to engaging young voters, who are becoming increasingly reliant on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to access political news and information.

 
The poll found that more than a third (34 per cent) of those aged 18 to 24 said that something they read on social media would likely influence the way they voted.

 
At the same time, the poll shows that young people understand social media’s limitations and so turn to other sources for political information. About a third of young people actually trust what they read on social media, with a fifth of Britons overall saying they trust social media.

 
Other sources that Britons as a whole say will influence their vote include TV debates, newspapers and party election broadcasts.

 
Despite the fact that many voters, including young voters, don’t completely trust what they read on social media, almost 80 per cent of those polled across the age spectrum agree that platforms like Facebook and Twitter have given a voice to those who don’t usually take part in political debate.

 
Managing director of the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute Bobby Duffy argued that social media could be critical in engaging younger generations of voters.

 
“Modern users of social media are sophisticated enough to recognise its disadvantages – and don’t seem to be dropping other news sources entirely – but its potential to widen access to politics could be key in halting the decline in political engagement among younger generations,” he said.

 
Unite national youth co-ordinator Anthony Curley agreed.

 
“Social media is a tool facilitating the participation in political debate that’s just now coming into its own,” he said. “The more opportunities we have to engage the electorate, especially young people who are just now being initiated into civic life, the better. The findings show what we at Unite have also found – that young people are eager to participate politically. They need only the access to platforms and forums that help amplify their collective voice.”