TikTok significantly influenced Finland’s April elections, with many young voters voting in favour of the populist and nationalistic Finns Party, which came in a close second and is now part of the four-way coalition negotiations, a survey published Monday reads.
The survey was published by consultancy company Miltton and appeared to reinforce the idea that social media – and especially TikTok – has become a key political tool.
”Even if the majority of young people still trust traditional media, one should not underestimate the role of social media when reaching out to young voters. [..] TikTok stood out among first-time voters. In the age group between 18 and 21, some 70% told of seeing political advertising on the platform,” said Eva Niskanen, the Director of social media at Miltton.
“The short duration of TikTok videos demands that complicated issues must be expressed in a simple and vigorous manner. Young people are also aching for content they can identify with. That fits in well with the style of the Finns Party. [..] A more right-leaning communication appeals to younger voters. Such a trend has also been noticed in the rest of Europe, such as Italy and Sweden,” Niskanen added.
Social media benefited the populist and nationalistic Finns Party, with 27% of the 18-30-year-olds who took part in the survey voting for them – a much higher percentage than how the same age group voted for other parties.
Among those who voted for the populist party, around 62% said TikTok messaging influenced their decision – likely because the party packaged its content in an easily understandable format.
By comparison, only 14% of the same age group said they had voted for the election winner, the National Coalition Party, while only 10% of them voted for the Social Democrats.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
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