Political Polarization, Political Hate Speech and Social Media: The Experience of Spanish Teenagers

This research analyses Spanish teenagers’ perceptions of political polarization, the role of social media in political debate and the normalization of hate speech in digital environments through four focus groups with 26 participants aged 16–17 from different regions of Spain. The results reveal a paradox: although adolescents recognize the importance of politics, they tend to disengage from political debates due to their association with conflict and social risk. Fear of judgement and exclusion leads them to restrict conversations to trusted circles, reinforcing ideological bubbles. In general, they do not trust schools as places to mitigate polarization. Gender differences in political engagement are modest: some female participants express emotional detachment from politics, fearing potential interpersonal conflicts. In contrast, male participants generally view ideological conflict as an inherent and acceptable part of democratic discourse. Social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, subtly shape their opinions through entertainment, contributing to the normalization of polarized narratives. Regional differences also emerge, with greater political engagement in nationalist contexts such as Catalonia and the Basque Country. This study highlights the importance of taking gender and regional context into account when fostering democratic engagement among young people.