Between Meme and Reality: Youth Perceptions of Politics and Politicians in the Digital Age

Abstract

In a context marked by increasing political disengagement among youth and the shift of civic discourse to digital platforms, it is crucial to understand how adolescents perceive politics, how they position themselves toward it, and the level of trust they place in political actors. Given the central role of social media in their everyday lives, this study examines how young people interpret the representation of politics and politicians in these digital formats. The research draws on four focus groups conducted with Spanish adolescents aged 16 and 17, a formative stage just prior to gaining voting rights. The findings reveal a predominantly critical and rejecting view of politics, perceived as a distant system of social control disconnected from young people's lived experiences. Political figures are strongly associated with corruption and ineffective governance, generating widespread distrust. Although memes are an integral part of participants' digital consumption, adolescents demonstrate an awareness of their propagandistic and polarizing nature. Particularly concerning is the normalization of hostile and delegitimizing discourse toward politicians embedded in these digital artifacts. Such content often operates below the level of conscious reflection, contributing to the construction of a persistently negative perception of politics among this age group.