Fake news fuels political disconnect among Scotland’s young voters

Three quarters of young people in Scotland say politics affects their lives, but only two-fifths feel they can make any difference in local or national decisions according to joint research from Young Scot and Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).

While the vast majority of young people (82%) agree it is important to be involved in politics, more than half (52%) don’t know how to get involved and growing misinformation is making this disconnect even worse.

The ‘Young People and Politics’ survey of more than 400 young people aged 11–25 gathered insights on how young people access information, engage with politics and what influences their thinking.

The findings show that digital misinformation and distrust of online information is a major barrier, with more than half (60%) of young people saying that while they know how to find information, there were serious concerns about the reliability of online sources - with the same proportion (59%) stating that it is hard to know what is true or fake online.

The emotional toll of misinformation is significant. Young people reported feeling annoyed and anxious when encountering fake or misleading information. As one young person explained: “It’s frustrating to constantly wonder if something is manipulated or untrue. You have to be suspicious of practically everything."

Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament and MSYP Ellie Craig said:

This report shows young people want opportunities to be meaningfully involved in decision-making. We want decision-makers we can trust and we want to know where we can access reliable information to help us make informed decisions.  

Ahead of the next Scottish Parliament elections in May, and all future elections, it is essential that action is taken to make sure all young people are supported to meaningfully participate in democratic processes and that young people's views are listened to and taken seriously.

Chief Executive of Young Scot Kirsten Urquhart said:

As digital media increasingly shapes how young people access information, growing misinformation makes it harder for them to make informed decisions. With young people able to vote from the age of 16, ensuring they have access to trusted, clear and quality-assured information has never been more important.