The impact of political candidates' TikTok campaigns on youth emotions in Ecuador's local elections

Resumo

Currently, social networks have emerged as essential tools for political communication, transforming the way candidates interact with young voters, involving emotions in their content. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the TikTok contents of candidates Fabricio Tinajero and Rodrigo Espín on the emotions and decisions of the young vote during the electoral campaign for the mayoralty of Latacunga 2023. The study used a descriptive approach, applying a mixed methodology. As an instrument, a survey was applied to 515 young people from Latacunga between 16 and 24 years old, using Google Forms and Excel for data analysis; the questionnaire addressed 12 questions, 8 on political communication and 4 on the influence of emotions on political behavior; in addition, a content analysis was applied to the videos with the greatest reach in visualizations of the candidates, establishing 7 categories for their development. Finally, a cross-analysis of qualitative and quantitative data was carried out. The development indicates that the candidate Tinajero focuses on transparency, emphasizing his commitment to the community through clear messages about security and public works, evoking emotions of hope and confidence in young people. In contrast, candidate Espín relies on a humorous and dynamic style, using popular culture, an approachable language to attract his audience. According to the reactions and emotions of young people, they show that some prefer a serious and committed approach, and others are more attracted to a light and flashy style. Despite TikTok's influence and reach, its power over voting decisions appears to be limited, indicating that young people may be consuming content without a significant change in their emotions and thus their voting decisions.