How do social media influence political discourse in Germany? Our data analysis examines various political movements and their presence on social networks.
Social media influences almost every aspect of our lives today. That is why we chose to explore one specific area that often goes unnoticed: politics. In particular, we examined YouTube’s role in shaping political discussions. This includes not only political parties, but also the rise of social and political movements that used YouTube to spread ideas and mobilize supporters.
The analysis shows how political movements, parties, and social trends have been reflected on YouTube and Wikipedia in recent years. We focused on content, user interest, and comments to highlight the role of social media as an amplifier of political and social debates.
We examined videos, comments, and Wikipedia pageviews across different topics and actors. Both the amount and timing of content, as well as user reactions and sentiments, were analyzed. Using keyword extraction, sentiment analysis, and cross-platform comparisons, we identified how online attention emerges, which themes dominate, and how political events are mirrored on social media.
Analysis of anti-vaccination related conversations on social media and its influence on political discourse.
Investigation of the AfD's social media strategy and its effect on the voters.
How the climate movement uses social media to bring about political change.
The influence of the #MeToo movement on political decisions and social change.
Analysis of Sahra Wagenknecht's social media presence and its political impact.
Comparative analysis of the social media activity of various political parties.
Investigation of the tradwife phenomenon on social media and its political implications.
The results demonstrate that social media has become a central arena of political and societal debate. It amplifies attention and conflict, gives visibility to movements, and places individual figures in the spotlight. However, sheer activity alone does not automatically lead to success. What truly matters are content, political context, and public sentiment. Social media is therefore an important, but not the sole, factor shaping political communication.