In the absence of significant changes in the political agenda, the authorities continue to experiment with new formats to attract public attention. In recent days, the spotlight has fallen on the so-called “Varchaband” disco event, attended by representatives of the ruling party, members of the Prime Minister’s office, as well as regular participants in various initiatives launched by the head of government.
According to political technologist Karen Kocharyan, what is happening is a clear example of political technology. “I believe this is a technology — and not just this. Entering TikTok, handing out likes, all of this follows the same logic. It is all aimed at young people,” Kocharyan notes.
Youth as the Authorities’ Weakest Electoral Group
According to the political technologist, sociological surveys available to the authorities have most likely shown that young people currently represent their weakest electoral segment. This has become the reason why the authorities have begun to work actively in this direction, using lighter, entertainment-oriented tools typical of social media.
However, Kocharyan is skeptical about the effectiveness of this strategy. In his assessment, young people’s attitude toward political processes — and toward the current authorities in particular — is more ironic than supportive or openly critical.
“The attitude is neither positive nor negative; it is rather a youth-specific approach: they mock, create memes, and ridicule,” he says.
Limited Impact
The political technologist does not rule out that the formats chosen by the ruling team may have some influence on a small segment of young people. However, he is convinced that this does not amount to broad outreach or serious political results.
“I don’t exclude that it may influence a certain group, but that group will not be large,” Kocharyan concludes.
According to the expert, activity on entertainment-driven and digital platforms cannot replace a substantive political agenda, especially in conditions where a significant portion of young people approaches the political system as a whole with deep distrust.