Teens pay more attention to Andrew Tate than political leaders

What HOPE not hate found was that boys in the range of 16-17 knew more about social media influencer Andrew Tate than they did about Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister.

A closer look at some of the more intricate details paints a strange picture of the overwhelming power social media has in influencing the views of young people.

At least 82 percent of girls between the ages of 16-17 reported having negative opinions about Tate. Only 26 percent of boys participating felt the same.

Even more worrying is that 45 percent of teenage boys admitted to having positive views of Andrew Tate. This is likely down to the lavish lifestyle and egoistical persona he presents online, which may be perceived as self-confidence and earned success in the eyes of young men.

Realising that young people know so much about so-called influencers but so little about the people who are running the country is a hard pill to swallow.

That said, Rishi Sunak has taken a far more low-key approach to leadership, which could be the reason why young people aren’t paying attention.

Unlike his predecessors, who were loud and proud about their policy decisions no matter how poor they turned out to be, Rishi has flown somewhat below the radar while making some questionable moves related to trans rights and education.

Still, the data presented by HOPE not hate makes it clear that cultural narratives online have more power to influence and attract the attention of teenagers than those in positions of political leadership do.

This is problematic, especially when people like Andrew Tate can easily upload content promoting narratives that threaten equality and human rights.

As a result of this new data, HOPE not hate will amp up its work on protecting communities most susceptible to radicalisation which, evidently, is any young person with access to Wi-Fi.