Political advertising on social networks: communicative strategies of manipulation for shaping the position of youth

Abstract

In the context of digital transformation, political advertising on social media has become an interactive, hyper-targeted form based on surveillance capitalism. Young people with clip-thinking and a tendency to trust visual content and influencers are particularly vulnerable: 84% do not recognize manipulation. The goal is to identify manipulative strategies in political advertising targeting Russian youth and analyze how they are perceived. Material: posts and campaigns on VK and Telegram from 2023-2025. (communities «The Truth Is with Us!», «PROSTO», «The Workshop of New Media» accounts of nine pro-government and opposition bloggers) and a pilot survey (N=35, aged 18–35). Methods: discourse analysis, content analysis, linguistic analysis, questionnaires. Four strategies have been identified: constructing reality, polarization, emotional engagement, and technologically determined techniques. Their effectiveness is ensured by digital dialect: memes, short videos, paragraphemics. The cases demonstrate hybrid formats: myth-making and dysphemization in a patriotic project, soft co-optation through loyal bloggers, and masking the agenda as leisure content. Personalized content that imitates expert opinion generates the highest level of engagement. During the 2024 elections, critical narratives about the opposition predominated on social media, contrasting with the positive campaigning in the media. The survey confirmed the vulnerability: only 8.6 % fully recognized the manipulation; information presented as a personal opinion proved to be particularly challenging. The correspondence between advertising tools and the psychology of young people has been identified; unrecognition is a key factor in effectiveness.