How social media and artificial intelligence are reshaping political engagement among young voters
For many young people, political news no longer begins with a newspaper or television broadcast. It starts with a social media post, short video or algorithmic recommendation. This shift is changing how young people access information, engage with politics and understand democracy.
Young participants of Bright Future’s “Participate and Promote Democracy” EU funded youth participation project spoke with Guy Kortes, current national chairman of the Jonge Democraten, the youth organization, affiliated with D66, about the opportunities and risks of this digital transformation.
Kortes sees social media, as an important tool for making political information more accessible. It allows young people to encounter news, participate in discussions and express their views. Yet accessibility can come at a cost. Short-form content may simplify complex political issues and leave little room for context or nuance.
The changing media environment also raises questions about the future of independent journalism. Kortes supports stronger protection against copyright infringement, so journalists can be fairly compensated, when their work is used by AI systems. He also sees subscription-based models as one way for media organisations to remain financially sustainable.
Misinformation presents another challenge. Kortes argues for clear legal boundaries, while keeping platforms responsible for content moderation. At the same time, freedom of expression should remain protected, unless content becomes dangerous or hateful.
He rejects broad social media bans for young people, favouring age-specific restrictions, that protect vulnerable users without excluding young people from digital participation. Transparency is equally important. Media organisations should disclose sponsorships, financial interests and potential foreign influence, while safeguards must prevent such rules from being misused to silence critical voices.
Kortes also stresses the importance of protecting journalists from threats and political intimidation. Governments have a responsibility to provide practical protection, while politicians should avoid encouraging hostility towards journalists, simply because they disagree with their reporting.
Artificial intelligence makes these challenges more urgent. AI can generate convincing content, reproduce bias and make manipulated information harder to identify. Kortes therefore supports greater transparency, stronger regulation and greater responsibility from platforms.
Ultimately, he sees media literacy and critical thinking, as essential democratic skills. Schools should help young people evaluate sources, recognise manipulation and deepfakes and use AI responsibly.
In an information environment, where anyone can publish or generate content, knowing how to question information may be as important as having access to it.
This article is produced by Peace Ojoma Idoko, Mariia Lesnikova, Charahja van Broekhoven, Felisita Fideline Sinartio,Rina Takahashi, Otabek Abdullaev, Adam Harutyunyan, participants in the Bright Future Foundation, as part of the European Union’s “Participate & Promote Democracy” Youth Participation project, in cooperation with Diplomat Magazine, Embassy of the Netherlands in Armenia and young members of the Armenian partner organization Promising Youth.
