Digital creators are shaping which political issues young Australians notice, discuss and investigate, new research from Griffith University has found.
Democracy In Our Feeds explored the changing way young people encountered political information and what this meant for trust, participation and Australia’s democratic information system.
The research examined 564 political creator posts published in the lead up to the 2025 federal election, compared them with traditional and entertainment media, and explored audience responses through a survey and focus groups.
The study found creators dominated election and leadership content, out-publishing traditional media four to one, while audiences rated them the most influential political content they encountered and wanted binding standards on how they operate.
Dr Susan Grantham from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, who led the study in collaboration with Sentiment Agency, said young people hadn’t completely checked out of democracy, but they encountered it differently, and increasingly through their social media feeds.
“Politics now reaches young people through creators, podcasts, memes, group chats and algorithmic feeds where news sits beside entertainment, identity and emotion,” Dr Grantham said.
“It’s important to respond to this shift because regardless of whether we like the idea, creators are now an integral part of the democratic ecosystem and an increasingly important part of youth political engagement.”
The findings showed creators developed distinct political communicative repertoires, challenging the authority of traditional media and positioning themselves as legitimate civic educators.
“Creators don’t necessarily change minds on the spot, but they shape what receives attention in the first place, influence what enters the feed, what feels urgent and what people investigate for themselves,” Dr Grantham said.
“The personality, emotional connection, speed and algorithmic visibility that make creators effective can also amplify misinformation, oversimplification and partisan content.”
Christie Wilson, Marketing and Communications Director at Sentiment Agency, said creators don’t have to change someone’s mind to shape democracy.
“If a post prompts someone to Google something, see what other people think about it, send it to a friend or raise it with housemates, it’s already influenced what gets attention and enters public conversation,” Ms Wilson said.
“The public square has changed faster than the democratic infrastructure around it.”
The White Paper provided a research-led starting point for future work to build the public-interest infrastructure younger Australians needed to navigate political information, strengthen civic literacy and engage meaningfully with democracy.
This could include co-designing a Code of Ethics with creators and experts, setting practical standards for sourcing, disclosure, accuracy and accountability in political and civic content.
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