How are algorithms shaping young Europeans’ political reality?
From Euractiv Talks by Euractiv's Advocacy Lab
April 13, 2026 · 33 min · Season 3 · Episode 9
About this episode
The episode discusses how social media algorithms influence young Europeans' political engagement and the quality of online political debate.
In this Policy Triangle, supported by Sitra, we unpack how social media algorithms shape political debate and young people’s engagement with democracy. The discussion explores the rise of opinion‑led and engaging political content, the spread of material that sits in regulatory grey areas, and young users’ negative experiences with politics online. It also looks at the growing role of engagement-driven content in shaping opinions, emotions and civic participation. Experts from Sitra, the European Parliament and CONNECT International debate whether tools such as the Digital Services Act, algorithmic transparency and stronger oversight can help rebuild trust and improve the quality of online political debate. Continue the conversation and check out Sitra’s latest report “Algorithms and democracy – How social media shapes young Europeans’ worldviews”.
Topics covered
- social media algorithms
- political engagement
- democracy
- youth participation
- online political debate
Keywords
- algorithms
- politics
- youth
- democracy
- social media
- engagement
- Digital Services Act
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sitra, European Parliament, CONNECT International
Books & works: Algorithms and democracy – How social media shapes young Europeans’ worldviews
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