Young People, Social Media and Harmful Content

News headlines are increasingly dominated by concerns about the harms young people face online. In late 2025, Australia introduced a ban preventing under-16s from accessing a range of major social media platforms. Here in the UK, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has publicly backed a similar approach, and at the time of recording there is widespread speculation that the UK government may be preparing to follow suit - perhaps even by the time you’re listening to this episode.But how do young people themselves experience the online spaces they inhabit? Do they see digital content as harmful, empowering, or something more complex? And crucially, what do they think should be done to make the online world safer and more constructive?In this episode, we explore these questions with Dr Emma Connolly, Research Fellow in the UCL Department of Political Science and a member of UCL’s Digital Speech Lab, where she leads research on digital civic education.Mentioned in this episode:How does social media content go viral across platforms? Modelling the spread of Kamala is brat across X, TikTok, and Instagram, Journal of Information Technology & Politics   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

For decades, political scientists believed that a person’s occupation was the strongest predictor of how they would vote. Manual, working-class jobs were associated with left-wing voting, while white-collar professions leaned right.In recent years, however, this class-based model has been challenged. Education level and age now often predict voting behaviour more accurately than occupation, alongside the growing importance of cultural and identity-based issues such as immigration, gender, and morality.But does this mean economic status no longer matters in politics? According to new research, the answer is no. Economic status remains a powerful predictor of voting behaviour - but the foundations of that status have changed. Rather than occupation, housing has emerged as a central factor shaping political preferences.In this episode, Prof Alan Renwick explores this shift with Josh Goddard, a PhD student in the UCL Department of Political Science, whose research sheds new light on how housing has become a key driver of political divides.Mentioned in this episode:Josh Goddard (2026) Housing and electoral behaviour: The changing face of class voting in advanced democracies. Electoral Studies, Volume 99   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

In today’s episode, we are joined by the author of a new book published by Princeton University Press. The book offers a bold reimagining of global justice, drawing on anticolonial thought to confront the unfinished work of decolonization. Rather than defending decolonization as a nationalist project, it advances a powerful vision of global social equality.Our guest is Dr. Shuk Ying Chan, Assistant Professor of Political Theory at UCL Political Science. Regular listeners will recall her previous appearances on the podcast, including episodes on resisting colonialism and the trouble with exporting Hollywood films.In Postcolonial Global Justice, Shuk Ying Chan proposes a new account of global justice centered on the value of social equality. Drawing on the ideas of Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Kwame Nkrumah, and Jawaharlal Nehru, Chan argues that a core commitment of anticolonial thought is the rejection of hierarchy and the embrace of equality. These insights from decolonization, she suggests, give us critical tools for challenging contemporary global hierarchies and for rejecting forms of postcolonial nationalism that are more focused on policing citizens than promoting their freedom and equality.   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

Democracy in the UK is under strain. Many voters feel deeply alienated from politics, believing that those elected to represent them often pursue narrow or personal interests rather than the public good. Political polarisation, intensified by changes in the media landscape, is undermining constructive debate. And for many citizens, it can feel as though money (rather than votes) is what really speaks loudest in politics.Against this backdrop, there is growing interest in how democratic systems might be reformed to function better and become more resilient. A wide range of proposals has emerged, tackling different aspects of democratic decline. While we can’t cover them all in a single episode, today’s discussion focuses on two specific reform ideas explored in recent articles published in the journal The Political Quarterly.The first examines the role of donations to political parties, asking how political finance shapes power, influence, and public trust in the democratic system. The second looks at the position of smaller parties in the House of Commons, exploring how parliamentary procedures affect their ability to contribute meaningfully to debate and scrutiny.To discuss these ideas, we’re joined by the authors of both pieces:Iain McMenamin, Professor of Comparative Politics at Dublin City University, is an expert on political finance and co-author of the article on party donations.Louise Thompson, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester, is a leading scholar of parliamentary politics and the author of the study on the role of small parties in the Commons.Together, we explore whether reforming party funding and giving smaller parties a stronger voice in Parliament could help rebuild trust, improve representation, and strengthen UK democracy.Mentioned in this episode:‘Unbroken, but Dangerous: The UK’s Political Finance Regime and the Rationale for Reform’, by Logan De la Torre, Kevin Fahey, and Iain McMenamin 'Modernising the House: Why the 2024 Parliament Highlights the Need to Formalise Party-Group Rights in the House of Commons’, by Louise Thompson.    UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

Our world faces a growing set of challenges that transcend national borders - from climate change and pandemic threats to the governance of emerging technologies and the protection of public goods. Yet political authority and decision making remain overwhelmingly rooted in sovereign states. How, then, can global challenges be tackled effectively?In this special episode, we turn to the concept of global governance - the institutions, norms, and practices through which collective action is coordinated beyond the nation state. Joining us is Professor Tom Pegram, Director of the UCL Global Governance Institute and Programme Director of the MSc in Global Governance and Ethics in the UCL Department of Political Science.Tom recently delivered his inaugural lecture as Professor of Global Politics at UCL, titled “Crisis? What Crisis? Rethinking Global Governance Through the Lens of Crisis.” Drawing on that lecture and his wider body of work, this conversation ranges across his academic career and explores how moments of crisis, from financial shocks and pandemics to democratic backsliding and climate emergencies, both expose the limits of existing governance arrangements and create opportunities for innovation and reform.Mentioned in this episode:Prof Pegram's lecture on YouTubeReflexive legitimation conflict: trumpism and the crisis of legitimacy in global AI governance in Global Public Policy and Governance.   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

Climate change is exerting increasingly profound effects on societies across the globe. Policy responses are often described as resting on three pillars. The first involves addressing the causes of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and improving carbon capture. Experts tend to refer to this as mitigation. The second concerns adapting to the climate impacts that are already unavoidable in order to reduce the harm they cause, for example by raising sea walls or improving the heat resilience of homes. This is known as adaptation. The third pillar deals with the harms that nevertheless arise, asking who should bear the associated costs and whether these harms can ever truly be compensated. This has come to be known as loss and damage.This episode focuses on that third pillar. Although the definition above is one way to understand loss and damage, it is far from the only one. The concept is contested, and the way it is framed varies between different actors in international climate negotiations. Competing definitions are used strategically in order to influence outcomes.These contests over meaning are only one example of the processes that shape international climate talks. Such processes can construct or, at times, manipulate the negotiation environment, and those with the greatest power often exert the greatest influence over how these processes unfold.A new book explores how these shaping forces operate within the loss and damage arena and argues that they are having a significant effect on the effectiveness of the global response to climate change, and not always for the better.Prof Alan Renwick's guest this episode is the author of that book, Professor Lisa Vanhala of the UCL Department of Political Science, UCL Pro-Vice Provost for the Grand Challenge Theme of the Climate Crisis, and a longstanding friend of the podcast.Mentioned in this episode:Governing the End. The Making of Climate Change Loss and Damage   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

It’s often said that when a government faces political trouble, nothing boosts public support quite like a threat to national security. History offers vivid examples — from the surge in backing for Margaret Thatcher during the 1982 Falklands War to the Bush administration’s post-9/11 unity wave. But can governments find other ways to rally citizens without invoking fear or conflict?In this episode, we explore a fascinating new study that suggests they can — by turning to moral issues instead of security ones. Our guest, Dr. Daniel Schulte, Associate Lecturer in Protest, Revolution & Qualitative Methods at UCL’s Department of Political Science, discusses his research on how governments may use moral framing to distract or unite publics when under pressure, drawing on experimental evidence from Turkey.Mentioned in this episode:Rallying around the mosque or flag: The effects of morality and security agenda setting on political performance in Turkey. Mediterranean Politics.   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

In this episode, we explore a crucial yet often overlooked question: how does war affect people’s support for democracy? Around the world, conflicts continue to shape societies and political systems—but the impact on democratic values and attitudes remains complex and contested.Host Prof Alan Renwick is joined by Kristin Bakke, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at UCL, head of the Conflict and Change research cluster, and a returning guest of the podcast. Together, they discuss new research from Ukraine that sheds light on how exposure to war influences people’s democratic commitments.Mentioned in this episode:Kristin M Bakke, Marianne Dahl, and Kit Rickard. Conflict exposure and democratic values: Evidence from wartime Ukraine.Journal of Peace Research special issue on Political Violence in Democracies    UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

Gaza is — often for tragic reasons — frequently in the headlines. In this episode, recorded on October 16, 2025, we take a step back from breaking news to explore Gaza’s deeper history: how the events of the 20th and 21st centuries have shaped the territory, its people, and its politics.Our guide through this complex and often painful story is Dr Julie Norman, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at UCL and co-author of the new book Gaza: The Dream and the Nightmare.It’s a history that probably few of us know in any detail. But understanding Gaza’s story so far is essential for thinking about Gaza today and about what path Gaza may take in the future.Mentioned in this episode:Gaza: The Dream and the Nightmare, by Julie M Norman and Maia Carter Hallward    UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

When we talk about funding healthcare, most of us think of hospitals, waiting lists, and limited budgets. But what about fertility — and the question of whether everyone should have the chance, or even the right, to have children?At a time of intense pressure on public spending, should the state cover the cost of fertility treatment? That question depends on what kind of good we think fertility treatment is. Is it simply another part of healthcare, like cancer treatment, competing for the same limited funds? Or does fertility occupy a different moral space — something unique that society has a special reason to support?To help us think through these questions, our host Emily McTernan is joined by Dr. Giulia Cavaliere, Lecturer in Engaged Philosophy at UCL.Mentioned in this episode:Guilia Cavaliere "Fertility treatment, valuable life projects and social norms: in defence of defending (reproductive) preferences".   UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.