What opportunities and risks does social media pose for political education, especially during election campaigns? Prof. Dr. Judith Möller gave an interview to Julia Stelzner in the magazine “Vogue” and referred to her research at the HBI.
Read the interview in German here
Summary
In the interview, Judith Möller points to the Reuters Digital News Report 2024 (published in German), which shows that 18 percent of Germans use social media as their most important source of news. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the figure is as high as 27 percent. Here they can find out which topics are important, who represents which opinion and which facts are relevant. Nevertheless, Judith Möller emphasizes that political opinions are also shaped by personal values, norms and the reality of life.
According to Judith Möller, there is little correlation between social media sympathies and voting decisions, but social media does have a relatively large influence on whether people vote at all.
Social media offers the opportunity to make politics approachable again, the scientist explains. Politicians can get involved directly. Judith Möller emphasizes the importance of authenticity and knowledge of the platform one is using.
The AfD occupied TikTok early on and uses the platform effectively to spread its messages in a targeted manner with simplified and pointed content. Judith Möller explains that the AfD is particularly popular with people who mistrust traditional media and spend more time on social networks.
Personalizing political content on social networks is not problematic as long as it does not replace substantive debate, says the researcher, who also emphasizes how disinformation and fake news can influence the formation of political opinion. The responsibility of the platforms, in particular through the EU’s Digital Services Act, is crucial to counteract lies and misinformation.
Photo: Luiza Nalimova, iStock