This project was a joint effort by:
@feps-europe.eu
@fesonline.bsky.social
@dpart.bsky.social
@democracyreporting.bsky.social
#YouthEngagement #SocialDemocracy #EUelections2024 #DigitalCampaigning #ProgressivePolitics

📘 Read the full article:
www.socialeurope.eu/why-young-vo...
📕 Part of the broader publication “From Posts to Polls”:
feps-europe.eu/wp-content/u...

Our piece argues that social democrats must go beyond critique and offer a hopeful, relatable, and tangible political vision, both online and offline.

It comes down to algorithms, but also
👉 Style
👉 Tone
👉 A clear, bold vision for the future
These matter more than ever when trying to earn young voters' attention—and trust.

With @michaeljennewein.bsky.social and Elena Avramovska, I explore why progressive parties often produce the most youth-focused content—yet far-right actors win on digital engagement.
Why is that?

1️⃣1️⃣ 🙏 Thank you so much, @gefjonoff.bsky.social, for sharing your valuable insights!

🔟 🔭 Looking ahead:

As 2025 approaches, FEPS hopes to contribute to exploring these research gaps and working to ensure that the gender divide among young people doesn't grow unnecessarily. Stay tuned for more insights and updates from FEPS Europe in the first half of next year.

9️⃣❓How can we raise awareness of the many remaining forms of discrimination against women—including the still appalling data on gender-based violence—among young men without using framings that alienate them or neglect the very insecurities and vulnerabilities they themselves face today?

8️⃣❓How do you make them, and young people generally, regardless of gender, feel economically more secure in economically uncertain times?
❓How do you make them trust that they will be fine on the labour market and ...also on the dating market?

7️⃣ Critical questions - also for progressive policymakers - emerge from that:
❓How can we make young men, and particularly those who are economically less well-off, trust the institutions (that can function as a mediating force countering resentments)?

6️⃣ ↩️ This shift can trigger a backlash among some young men, who—according to opinion data—are far more likely to believe that young women are no longer significantly discriminated against. Young women, however, strongly contest this perception.

5️⃣ (though so-called motherhood penalties and glass ceilings for leadership positions remain critical issues for women at later career stages).

4️⃣ According to @gefjonoff.bsky.social the differences we see in some countries may be tied to changes in the labour market. For many entry-level positions, the gender gap is closing rapidly, with young women being more highly educated than their male counterparts.

3️⃣ Conclusions remain elusive for people in their late teens and early twenties, with ideological leanings and voting behaviours presenting a complex and inconclusive picture. In many cases, there simply isn’t enough data to draw firm conclusions.

2️⃣ To explore this, I spoke with @gefjonoff.bsky.social for FEPS Europe talks, whose research delves deeply into this topic. Key insights: 📉 Research on this topic—particularly within Europe—is still in its infancy.

Caitlin Reder Francesca Giannaccini Ania Skrzypek Ognjan Denkovsķi Miriam Candelú Morgana Cochaux Rodrigo Bazzano FirpoAhinara Bascuñana López Aoife Maguire Sophie Newlands

@michaeljennewein.bsky.social @tobiasspoeri.bsky.social @neeleeilers.bsky.social @lauren-mason.bsky.social @bilianasirakova.bsky.social @dpart.bsky.social @fesonline.bsky.social @democracyreporting.bsky.social