I’ve been thinking about how differently the 2025 Australian federal election played out on social media compared to earlier campaigns, both here and overseas.
When I studied Internet Communications a decade ago, we explored how social media was first leveraged in major political campaigns - Kevin07 in the 2007 Australian federal election and Barack Obama’s campaign in the U.S. in 2008 both used digital strategies to engage voters in ways not seen before. With under-44s now making up the largest voting demographic in Australia, I expected digital platforms to play a major role in this election.
They didn’t. But why?
Despite heavy investment in podcasts, influencer interviews and TikTok content, engagement remained low. Political parties struggled to connect effectively on these platforms, influencers lacked the depth for meaningful political discourse, and voters seemed disengaged. Adding to this, broader geopolitical events dominated headlines, likely further diverting attention from social media-driven election content in Australia.
Australia’s election dynamics adds complexity. Compulsory voting focuses campaign strategies towards the centre rather than extremes. Our independent Australian Electoral Commission ensures fair seat distribution, effectively preventing issues like gerrymandering.
Yet social media platforms are built to amplify extremes. That contrast means digital engagement needs to operate differently here compared to systems where polarisation is more politically advantageous. In this election, it didn’t.
Social media isn’t irrelevant in politics - it just hasn’t matured in Australia yet, nor has it fully adapted to our unique electoral environment. It may evolve in future elections, but for now, trusted voices in traditional journalism still seem to hold more influence when it matters.
Intriguing stuff! Definitely something to watch as digital engagement continues to evolve in the political space.
Link to the article that prompted these thoughts - The influencer election that wasn't: amid Trump trauma, Australian voters logged off
Photo by Shutter Speed on Unsplash
