Three quarters of young people in Scotland say politics affects their lives, but only two-fifths feel they can make any difference in local or national decisions – and growing online misinformation is making this disconnect even worse, according to a major survey published ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections.
While the vast majority of young people (82%) agree it is important to be involved in politics, more than half (52%) don’t know how to get involved.
Another finding was that while almost half (49%) use social media every day to find out what is happening in the world, 59% feel it is hard to know what is true or fake online when it comes to politics.
National youth information charity Young Scot, and the Scottish Youth Parliament, carried out a survey of more than four hundred 11-to-25-year-olds to gather insights on how young people access information, engage with politics and what influences their thinking.
The “Young People and Politics” survey findings highlight the barriers young people face to meaningful political participation amid growing concerns about online misinformation.
The poll showed that almost three quarters of those surveyed (72%) think that politics impacts their lives, with 70% feeling comfortable talking about politics. Younger people are less confident, with 85% of 18-to-25-year-olds feeling politics impacts their lives, compared with just 62% of 11- to-15-year-olds.
Following the survey, a focus group also revealed that young people had difficulty identifying who is who in local politics, whereas US President and Vice President Donald Trump and JD Vance are more prominent.
The survey found that digital misinformation and distrust of online information is a major barrier, with more than half (60%) of young people saying that while they know how to find information, there were serious concerns about the reliability of online sources – with the same proportion (59%) stating that it is hard to know what is true or fake online.
The emotional toll of misinformation is significant. Young people reported feeling annoyed and anxious when encountering fake or misleading information. As one young person explained: “It’s frustrating to constantly wonder if something is manipulated or untrue. You have to be suspicious of practically everything.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, social media is winning over the eyes and ears of young people who are using traditional broadcast and print media less.
Over three quarters of young people use social media daily or several times a week to keep up with current affairs, while only 20% said they use TV or radio every day and 28% watched or listened a few times a week.
Survey respondents agreed TikTok was their go-to social media platform, followed by Instagram, YouTube and X (Twitter). The most popular mainstream news source was BBC News, alongside ITV/STV news, The Guardian and Sky News.
Ellie Craig, MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said: “This report shows young people want opportunities to be meaningfully involved in decision-making. We want decision makers we can trust and we want to know where we can access reliable information to help us make informed decisions.
“Ahead of the next Scottish Parliament elections in May, and all future elections, it is essential that action is taken to make sure all young people are supported to meaningfully participate in democratic processes and that young people’s views are listened to and taken seriously.”
Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said: “As digital media increasingly shapes how young people access information, growing misinformation makes it harder for them to make informed decisions. With young people able to vote from the age of 16, ensuring they have access to trusted, clear and quality-assured information has never been more important.”
