Victoria's electoral chief says young voters are media-savvy despite TikTok
Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel says young voters are skilled at spotting false information.
Young voters will make up about 10 per cent of Victoria's ballot in the November 28 state election. Most get their news from TikTok or other social media.
Sven Bluemmel, Victoria's Electoral Commissioner, told a Monash University forum that they are "pretty damn good" at spotting misinformation and disinformation. The assumption that young people are politically uninformed or easily fooled misses how they actually think, he said.
Senior politics lecturer Benjamin Moffitt agreed, calling young people the "most media literate generation around" just because of their upbringing in a digital environment. Both warned that efforts to target false information online can only do so much.
Young voters also care that policies on offer, such as housing, actually work for them.
- 10 per cent
- Young voters in Victoria election
- About half of 18-24 year olds
- Young voters using TikTok for news
- November 28
- Election date
- Sven Bluemmel
- Electoral Commissioner
Why it mattersYoung voters' ability to distinguish fact from political spin will shape election outcomes, and policymakers are realising that reaching them requires real solutions, not messaging tricks.
AustraliaVictoria's election will test whether young voters' media literacy helps them navigate a state campaign that will be run heavily on social media.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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