DET FÖRKLÄDDA POLITISKA BUDSKAPET : En kvalitativ studie om det svenska Socialdemokratiska ungdomsförbundet anpassning till TikToks och Instagrams logiker

Sammanfattning

This study examines how the logics of the social media platforms Instagram and TikTok shape their content. Based on the medialization theory, the posts of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth Party on the platforms are analyzed. This qualitative content analysis shows that humor, irony and acts of ridicule dominate the content on the platforms. A new type of communication is identified, where respect for opposition politicians decreases and personal attacks are normalized. It emerges that political discourse is changing and becomes colored by a sharper tone, where mudslinging is concealed behind the platforms humorous logics. The study also shows that the youth party personifies its leaders and thus creates political celebrities. By showing different political actors in a personal way, the youth party opens up for a new, more everyday type of political communication. It is based on a personal relationship between the recipient and the political actor, which differs from traditional political communication. Thus, this analysis can show a shift in how political communication changes when the medium is replaced and the political conversation moves into the digital world of social media.