Twenty years ago, politics was the domain of debate, analysis, and long-form interviews. But today, in an era of short-form content and the dominance of TikTok in particular, has it become a spectacle? Algorithms favor viral content, politicians adapt to trends, and voters make decisions based on catchy messages rather than in-depth arguments.
According to research, more and more people – especially in the US – are using TikTok as their main source of news. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden actively sought the support of young voters by hiring TikTok influencers to create positive content about him, an unprecedented strategy on such a large scale.
A platform originally designed for creative videos has become an arena for political rivalry. The problem is that TikTok’s algorithm does not reward in-depth analysis, instead favouring emotional, controversial and condensed content. This changes the way audiences process information and make political decisions. In turn, it is changing the way politicians communicate with voters.
From argument to virality – politics as entertainment Traditional media forced politicians to maintain a certain level of substance – TV interviews and press articles required argument and factual analysis. TikTok reverses this model. It is all about who can create the most engaging and viral content.
Instead of debating, politicians dance, record meme-like videos, sample street food, and review local dishes like popular YouTubers. They express themselves in short, sharp sentences that fit well on a smartphone screen. Successful candidates are often those who turn their political message into a form of political reality TV. The result:
- Memes and short videos have become the new way to shape political narratives.
- Instead of focusing on content, voters remember images, slogans, and funny moments.
- TikTok turns political debate into a competition to create the best viral content.
Algorithms Instead of Journalists
Traditional media used to operate under journalistic standards of accuracy and integrity. TikTok has no such mechanisms – it is the algorithm, not journalistic quality, that decides what users see.
This leads to
- The spread of fake news – False or manipulated content reaches millions before fact-checkers can debunk it.
- Information bubbles – algorithms only show users content that matches their existing beliefs, reinforcing their sense of being right. This can lead to voters becoming more entrenched in their sometimes incorrect views.
- Social polarisation – Instead of rational debate, we see a war of memes and slogans.
- Politics becomes pop culture – voters no longer analyze policies, they simply react to trends.
- Superficiality – Short-form videos eliminate the possibility of deep discussion. Political debates often become “TikTok vs. TikTok“.
Political Influencers/Internet Creators – The New Opinion Leaders?
On TikTok, it is not just politicians who shape public debate. Influencers – often with no professional background – attract hundreds of thousands of viewers and shape their political opinions. Political influencers are becoming the new opinion leaders. This raises several concerns:
- Reach is more important than expertise – What matters is not expertise but the ability to create engaging content.
- No accountability – Influencers are not held accountable for misinformation in the same way as journalists or politicians.
- Individuals over institutions – Young voters trust individuals more than parties or experts.
Political Hook
In The Myth of the Rational Voter, Bryan Caplan argues that voters often make irrational decisions because they lack the motivation to analyze policy deeply. They are driven by emotions and misconceptions. TikTok exacerbates this problem by turning politics into pop culture, where success depends on viral reach rather than policy substance.
So how will democracy evolve if citizens stop relying on arguments and start thinking in terms of memes and emotions?
Social media, especially TikTok, is changing the way people make political decisions. This shift is making politics more like entertainment than a substantive debate about the future of a country. It also forces politicians to be influencers rather than experts. Showmanship counts more than real proposals. Even when real proposals do emerge, they need to be communicated with elements of spectacle, surprise or TikTok-style ‘hooks’.
Entertainment vs. engagement: A double-edged sword It’s worth considering whether this ‘entertainment’ style of communication actually leads to greater political engagement. Examples from the US suggest that it does – young voters who previously ignored elections have started to pay attention to politics thanks to engaging content. But does short-form content really increase political awareness? It may be that TikTok paradoxically engages people in politics while making their decisions more superficial and emotional. While TikTok reduces the quality of public debate, it may also increase political interest among young voters. The big challenge for liberal politicians and activists is to find a way to combine TikTok’s format with deeper political analysis. But is this even possible?
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