Political opinion-forming: social media as the underdog?
Even though political parties spend large sums on social media campaigns during referendum campaigns, Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms are only a key source of information for a few when it comes to voting. How does this fit together? Results from a research project by the Center for Democracy Studies Aarau provide clues and raise questions about the regulation of social media.
One thing is clear: social media still plays a small role in shaping public opinion in Swiss elections. Nevertheless, parties invest considerable sums in social media campaigns during elections and referendums to convince voters of their positions. Data from the post-vote survey on the Environmental Responsibility Initiative (UVI) of February 9, 2025, from the “Direct Democracy Switzerland in the 21st Century (DDS-21)” project (see box) now provide two indications why the role of social media in political opinion-forming in Switzerland should not be underestimated. This also raises the question of social media regulation.
Users today are the young, but they are also getting older
As expected, people aged 18-24 used social media most frequently: First, in the youngest age group, more than a third of voters used social media specifically to inform themselves about the proposal. At the same time, only around 10 percent did not use social media at all. Thus, social media was only crucial for political information in the run-up to votes for a small number of eligible voters. However, because media habits remain relatively stable, this will likely change in the future, giving social media a more important role.
Daniel Kübler, professor at the Center for Democracy Studies Aarau, explains what this means: «Today’s young people frequently use social media. This accessibility also offers political actors the opportunity to reach young voters at an early age and mobilize them for politics.»
Minimum standard for political content
As the importance of social media increases, the question of how to regulate Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms arises. Based on the study’s findings, it can be argued that now is the time to conduct a social and political debate about possible regulations for these platforms. The goal should be to establish minimum standards for political content in order to ensure transparency regarding the financial resources used by political actors.
Gabriel Hofmann, doctoral student and research associate in the project, notes: «A majority of Swiss voters use social media in some form. Even if political content is only in the background, they are accessible to political actors, at least through paid content. Therefore, it is important to know which political actors buy reach and with which criteria.»
If this basic requirement is met, social media can contribute to better information for voters due to their low threshold.
About the project
| «Direct Democracy Switzerland in the 21st Century (DDS-21)» The project «Direct Democracy Switzerland in the 21st Century (DDS-21)» is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and examines current issues in voting research. A representative online survey of Swiss voters is conducted after each vote. The project examines four research questions in more detail: How does political advertising influence voters? What does the digitalization of the media landscape, and social media in particular, do to the opinion-forming process? How can political knowledge and political competence be measured? And finally, how are fundamental moral and political values related to voting decisions? |
Further resources
- Blog article DeFacto German: «Von der Nische zum Mainstream? Die Bedeutung sozialer Medien für Schweizer Stimmberechtigte – DeFacto»
- Blog article DeFacto French: «De la niche au grand public ? L’importance des médias sociaux pour les citoyen·ne·s suisses »
- Blog article DeFacto Italian: «Da fenomeno di nicchia a elemento di tendenza? L’importanza dei social media per l’elettorato svizzero»
Contact
Gabriel Hofmann, doctoral student and research associate at the Center for Democracy Studies Aarau
hofmann@zda.uzh.ch, 062 836 94 57
Prof. Dr. Daniel Kübler, director, Center for Democray Studies Aarau
daniel.kuebler@zda.uzh.ch, 078 815 67 60
About the CDA
The Centre for Democracy Studies Aarau is a scientific research centre supported by the University of Zurich, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, the Canton of Aargau and the City of Aarau. It conducts basic research and addresses current issues relating to democracy – regionally, in Switzerland and worldwide. www.zdaarau.ch