Could Tik Tok or Instagram be the answer to young people’s indifference towards voting? As municipal elections take place in Ontario this month, some first-time voters and young candidates believe social media is becoming a key tool for capturing interest in the polls.
“Social media and social media discourse make up a lot of how like young people consume like politics or media or like how they form their opinions,” said Florence Yan, a student at the University of Waterloo.
Elections Canada reports that voter turnout has consistently been lowest among those aged 18 to 24 since 2004. Turnout tends to increase with age, peaking among those aged 65 to 74 before dropping again for those over 75.
Neel Laroiya, another student from the University of Waterloo, believes both door-to-door campaigning and social media are effective means of connecting with younger voters.
“We get most of our news from like Instagram and like social media,” he mentioned, noting that time constraints play a big role for him.
“I’m in engineering. There’s only so much time in a day that you have. It’s really hard to find the time to actually go and look at the news.”
WATCH | Some municipal candidates in Guelph use Tik Tok to reach young voters:
Some municipal candidates in Guelph use Tik Tok to reach young voters
Would you consider voting if you noticed more candidates on Tik Tok? Statistics from Elections Canada reveal that youth tend not to vote as often, prompting some municipal election candidates in Guelph, Ont., to engage with young people where they spend their time: on platforms like Tik Tok. CBC K-W’s Aastha Shetty visited the University of Guelph campus to chat with students and some candidates aiming for visibility on new voters’ Tik Tok For You Pages.
For Sebastian Wang, who is 18 years old, this marks his first opportunity to vote. He’s eager to make it count.
“I definitely want to learn more about it because now that I have like a vote, I want to use that vote. I want to use the power I have to make a change,” said Wang.
‘Connect with People Today’
Ibraheem Kappaya is an economics and financial management student at Wilfrid Laurier University. The 19-year-old is currently running for city council in Kitchener’s Ward 4.
He’s utilizing social media as a way to connect with as many individuals as possible.
“The majority of people, old and young, are on Tik Tok. They’re on Instagram; they’re on Facebook. So that’s how you need to reach people. Running a campaign is about engaging with as many people as you can,” Kappaya stated.
Kappaya uses humor in his posts aimed at younger voters online. He’s also filmed videos in various languages such as Urdu, Arabic, and Spanish for broader outreach within diverse communities.
“A lot of young people enjoy comedy and they can resonate with that.. We have to engage with people in a modern way,” he noted while mentioning his second-most viewed reel is in Arabic.
“So many Arab voters didn’t even know that there’s a municipal election going on.. that’s why social media matters; it’s not just about reaching young folks but also providing info for those who might not be fluent in municipal processes. We need engagement from all types of voters.”
Ibraheem Kappaya, age 19, aims to connect with his peers through social media by posting reels in Arabic, Spanish, and Urdu which has helped him reach various harder-to-reach communities around Waterloo region. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)
Michael Agueci, who is 23 years old and running for Ward 5 council seat in Guelph has garnered thousands of likes and views through his humorous Tik Toks.
He compared his online efforts TO “getting my sign IN FRONT OF” potential voters AND believes seeing him online will encourage them TO VOTE FOR HIM.
“I WANT PEOPLE TO DO RESEARCH ON MY POLICIES.. BUT these LOCAL races depend largely ON name recognition.”
Debates On Campus
Jordan Bauman IS A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO AND ORGANIZER WITH WATERLOO FORUM WHICH HAS HOSTED SEVERAL CANDIDATE DEBATES AT WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO.
“STUDENTS ARE MORE UNAWARE OF THIS ELECTION COMPARED TO OTHER ELECTIONS,” HE SAID EXPLAINING WHY HIS GROUP WANTS TO INFORM MORE STUDENTS LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY.
BAUMAN SAYS STUDENTS ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PROPERTY TAXES.
“UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE ELECTORATE HERE [IN WATERLOO REGION] WHICH IS WHY THEY’RE IMPORTANT.. WE SHAPE THE FUTURE.”
HOSTING DEBATES ON CAMPUS IS AN ESSENTIAL WAY TO ENGAGE STUDENTS HE SAID.
“IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN DOING FOR OVER A YEAR AT THE WATERLOO FORUM. WE THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU GO TO UNIVERSITY, YOU’RE NOT JUST TAKING CLASSES, BUT YOU’RE CHALLENGING YOUR WORLDVIEWS AND HEARING NEW IDEAS.”
What Experts Say?
CAMPAIGNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA CAN WORK WELL IN COMBINATION WITH DOOR-KNOCKING ACCORDING TO LYDA MILJAN, A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR. P >
“YOU HAVE TO BE ENGAGED. YOU HAVE TO BE IN PEOPLE’S FACES. YOU HAVE TO SORT OF BECOME PART OF THE ALGORITHM WHICH IS A REALLY TOUGH CHALLENGE FOR PEOPLE TRYING GET INVOLVED “, SHE SAID. p >
“BUT IT’S NOT JUST ONE TIME THINGS. IT’S REPEATED CONNECTIONS.” P >
GETTING YOUNGER VOTERS INTERESTED CAN BE HARDER DURING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS SHE NOTED. P >
“MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TENDS DEAL WITH PLUMBING ISSUES…WHICH TEND NOT ATTRACTIVE YOUNGER PERSON BE ENGAGED IN,” SHE SAID.
“THERE’S A LOT FOR VOTERS DEAL WITH AND YOUNGER PEOPLE TEND SHUT THAT OUT,[ATTRACT] EVEN HAND FULL NEW VOTERS YOUNGER…WOULD SUCCESS.” P >
ANNE WILSON IS PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR FROM WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY. SHE SAYS RECENT SURVEYS FROM HER LAB SHOW MANY YOUNGER ADULTS GET MOST THEIR NEWS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. P
< p c lass=”paragra-phs b0-gxd Ht-m-l pr-agrah "" USE TIKTOK INSTAGRAM SEEMS LIKE REASONABLE STRATEGY ATTRACT YOUNGER VOTERS, SHE STATED. "
< P cl ass =" pa ragr aphs B0-gxd-Htm-l-pr agra Ph '' ” USING THESE PLATFORMS ALONE WON’T CUT IT, CANDIDATES MUST BE RELATABLE ADDRESS CONCERNS OR ELSE FACE FALL FLAT ”.
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