Recent academic analyses report that young people are increasingly aligning themselves with right-wing positions, more so than the youth of past decades. This evidence is further supported by studies showing a growing trend of young people voting for radical right-wing parties, a phenomenon that was far less common a decade ago. The right-wing appeal is particularly strong among young males, many of whom are embracing narratives that dismiss gender inequality and support xenophobic and anti-immigration policies. But why is this happening? Is it contributing to explain the gender ideological divide among Spanish young people?

Although several potential explanations exist, one prominent hypothesis has gained traction in the public sphere: social media could be influencing young people’s political ideologies. We argue that social media influences young people more than traditional media for several theoretical reasons. To summarize: social media consumption is highly individualized and often occurs without family involvement, which has traditionally been a key agent in political socialization and the development of both ideological beliefs and party identification.

To test this hypothesis, we have access to panel data from TRI-POL, a three-wave survey conducted as part of a project led by Mariano Torcal focusing on the Spanish case. This data allows us to examine whether increased social media consumption correlates with shifts in individual ideological preferences, particularly toward right-wing positions. The dataset includes detailed information on specific social media platforms, levels of consumption, and various measures of ideology and party identification.