by georg.kiraly -

Exposé: Master Thesis

Working title = provisional title

A user centered tool to increase the democratic awareness of children and people of younger ages (Generation Z & Alpha)

An exposé provides information about:

1. the problem (Starting point, problem description)

On the one hand, the problem is that political parties in Austria have no idea how to appeal to young voters. On the other hand, interest in democracy and politics is constantly declining. Information is often formulated in a rather complicated way and tends to deter children and young people. A component or rather proof of the lagging behind of political actors is also shown by their social media presence or the survey results of the leading female candidates among under 20-year-olds. For young people, Austrian politics often seems outdated, uninteresting and also often as if the young voter group and its issues are rather unpopular. This opens the gates and receptiveness of young people to populism and sensationalist politics. I would like to get to the bottom of this thesis with my work and find out how young people understand politics and develop and offer an interactive service design for this.

2. state of research

Unfortunately, there is not yet much specialised literature, statistics or other theses that deal with the topic of “politics and youth”.  Although I have already come across a few theses, particularly in the field of journalism and media, there are unfortunately not (yet) many large-scale studies or relevant specialised literature.

3. the question

What is the political awareness of children and young people in Austria and which parameters are decisive for the political success or failure of established parties?

4. the hypothesis resp. the objective

Firstly, I would like to find out more about the current situation and draw a picture of the present. The challenges that political actors face when it comes to the young target group will be analysed. Once the problems have been explained, I would like to present systematic solutions in the form of tools. This could be an app, a workshop idea or a board game/mini-game. It depends on the results of the empirical part of the scientific work. At the moment, I am strongly leaning towards an app that diplomatically categorises complicated political content and explains the basic cornerstones of a democracy. Due to the voting age in Austria (16 years old), I would limit the target group to 13-18 year olds.

5. the reference to theory

In my opinion, there are two fundamental problems that cross-fertilise each other. On the one hand, politics and democracy-related subjects are taught far too late. Young people learn about the Austrian state and the prevailing democratic system in primary school, but they can do little with it at primary school age and then hear nothing more about it for a relatively long time before it is usually referred to again at the age of 14/15. As a result, in addition to the basic subjects of maths, English, German and the like, a subjectively lower prioritisation towards politics and democracy develops. The second problem I see is that children and young people are often taught that politics is an “adult thing” and that most decisions are not made for them but for other age groups. I think this is understandable from a demographic point of view but more than unwise from a social point of view. Issues such as education, sustainability or security are mainly played out by political “extreme parties” (extreme right or extreme left), which I think is a shame. I would like to see political centre parties also focus more on these issues. To cut a long story short: I am curious to see whether my research supports or refutes these theses.

6. the method

Formulate the problem on the basis of existing empirical studies or call out a scientific thesis Develop a type of questionnairem or interview guide Conduct qualitative (and possibly also quantitative) surveys Analyse the results and either substantiate or modify the thesis Incorporate relevant theory (specialist literature, other statistics) Identify possible solutions as an interaction designer Develop/design tool

7. the material

Various specialised literature, surveys/statistics, reports or news articles, videos, other theses

8. (preliminary) bibliography

theres a already a lot of literature available. Detailed titles or sources will be announced soonish.

9. (preliminary) structre

Here I refer to point 6 and add the following:
1. Theory/Empiricism 2. Ideation 3. Practical Part

10. the timetable (project phases and duration)

I expect to complete my work towards the end of the summer. I would categorise the time periods as follows:  1. theory/empiricism – 300 hours 2. ideation – 100 hours 3. practical part – 300 hours

11. Projectteam

At the moment I am on my own, but I can imagine that I will work with schools, teachers or counselling centres in the future.

12. Financing

At the moment, apart from the printing of the thesis, no costs are planned.

12. Risk factors

The risks, as with presumably all scientific work, are as follows: 1. time management – do not spend too much/too little time on the research 2. quality of the work – do not neglect the precise elaboration of the empirical results due to time stress or the like 3. spectrum – it is important to depict several social strata and groups so as not to research only in certain milieus. Otherwise, the research results could be distorted.
by georg.kiraly -

Research Planning Matrix

AimsObjectivesMethodsOutcomesOutputs
To have a closer look on the current status of awareness of younger people towards democracy and develop a tool that improves the current state towards more understanding of democratic values. After the research phase it is planned to develop a user-centered tool that provides information and enhances the understanding of democracy among young or soon-to-be-voters in austria.1. Get a good overview of all the research that is already done and available.
2. Analyze the current situation and define the problem
3. Develop and design a tool that helps solving the problem.
4. Analyze and test the functionality of the developed tool to be able to improve the thesis through an iterative process.		Classic literature research, build up focus groups, eventually online testings/surveys, qualitative interviews in schools or with sociologists or politicians, marketing expertsThe research should lead to a better understanding of the situation and to undermine the idea of this thesis. I’d like to have a closer look onto teenager behaviours when it comes to politics or democratic attitudes. (not only in big scale)The research output should be the detailed definition of a problem in order to be able to start a design process of a tool that will solve or works on the solution of that problem.
by georg.kiraly -

Ontology & Epistemology

I will reflect on those two topics regarding my thesis-topic, in the following two collums.

Ontology:
Exploring the awareness of younger individuals towards democracy involves understanding how young people perceive and engage with the democratic system. It delves into their knowledge, attitudes, and participation in democratic processes. Key elements include examining the influence of factors like education, societal influences, and the political environment. Additionally, temporal aspects such as changes over time and developmental stages within the younger population contribute to shaping their awareness of democracy. This analysis aims to create a structured framework for comprehending the intricate relationships and dynamics associated with this important societal aspect. Once this dynamic or maybe problem is understand its possible work on a problem-solving educational tool.

Epistemology:
In developing a tool to enhance awareness of democracy among younger individuals, I’ll draw on a variety of scientific sources, including papers, books, articles, and statistics. I’ll critically assess the validity and reliability of these sources, considering the methodologies used in research. By integrating findings from diverse studies, I aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing awareness. This synthesized knowledge will guide the development of the awareness tool, with ongoing feedback and iterations based on research and user responses. Ethical considerations will underpin the project to ensure accuracy, privacy, and cultural sensitivity. This approach aligns with a dynamic and robust epistemological framework.

by georg.kiraly -

Evaluation of masters thesis: “Young people and news apps: how attractive is the existing offering for 14 to 18-year-olds?” by Katharina Sunk MA (2014)

To summarize the work of Katharina Sunk i’d like to give you a short overview of her thesis: The text explores the significance of young adults as future decision-makers and their lack of interest in political awareness despite the lowered voting age. With smartphones being an integral part of daily life and information easily accessible, the question arises regarding the attractiveness of news apps in the Austrian media market for adolescents (14-18). The work emphasizes the role of mass media and the growing importance of smartphones for knowledge dissemination. In the empirical phase, six adolescents tested news apps from “Heute” and “Die Presse.” The results indicate that appealing news apps for adolescents need to provide both information and entertainment. Quick navigation to relevant information is crucial, a requirement not adequately met by Austrian news apps. Therefore, the available selection is considered unattractive for adolescents (14-18).

I would like to judge said work according to several criteria:

Level of design:

The thesis exhibits a well-structured design with clear sections, including an introduction, background, research questions, theoretical framework, empirical study, and conclusions.

Degree of innovation:

The thesis introduces an innovative perspective by exploring the intersection of youth engagement, news consumption through apps, and the role of smartphones. The focus on the attractiveness of news apps for adolescents is a unique angle.

Independence:

The thesis demonstrates a degree of independence, especially in the formulation of research questions and the exploration of the relationship between youth, media, and news consumption. Also the empirical approach shows a big load of independence when it comes to implementation.

Outline and structure:

The thesis follows a logical and cohesive structure, progressing from the background to the research questions, theoretical framework, empirical study, and conclusions. This structure aids in understanding the research flow.

Degree of communication:

The thesis effectively communicates all central issues, research questions, and findings. It uses clear language to convey complex ideas, making it accessible to a broad audience.

Scope of the work:

The thesis has a specific scope, focusing on the attractiveness of news apps for youths aged 14 to 18 in Austria. It appropriately delimits the study to this demographic, providing a targeted analysis.

Orthography and accuracy:

The thesis appears well-written, with proper orthography and accuracy. There are no apparent issues with spelling or grammatical errors but a good style of citation.

Literature:

The thesis references studies and literature to support its arguments, demonstrating a research-oriented approach. It incorporates theoretical concepts and compares existing studies to contextualize the research problem. Sunk mentioned a broad spectrum of online and offline-sources. 

by georg.kiraly -

Stage free for the new “wahlkabine.at”

For my prototype, I gave the wahlkabine.at website a new look. Not only that, I focused on being more modern, friendly and inclusive when presenting the election information. This should give the website a more positive impression, especially on young people, and invite them to actively participate in shaping Austria’s democracy. Have fun watching the video! 🙂

Below you’ll find the transcript of the video if the audio is not working well on your audio device.

Here is the new prototype for the website Wahlkabine.at. I have tried to make the website more modern, user-friendly, and inclusive. It was important to me that the site appeals to both young and old voters, but I have currently focused on a young audience.

The entry to the site is much friendlier right from the start, designed with a positive header image. Here on the right, you will find icons for the most popular social media platforms – Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Next, there is a reminder for the upcoming election and the option to go straight to the voting booth.

Below that, two or more voters talk about why they go to vote. Here, I can also envision a collaboration with influencers.

Democracy is explained here, and its history is briefly told with a timeline.

Different forms of participation are presented here to show that it doesn’t always have to be about major national elections to actively participate. If you click on one of the buttons, you can learn more.

Here is the hover-over map of Austria, where you can find out who holds positions in the respective government.

Below that, the most well-known parties in the country are introduced. By clicking on the “Learn more” field, you can find out more about their positions and values. Afterward, the parties that are less known or primarily regional are shown.

Finally, there is a slider that introduces the different governments and councils in Austria. For example, the National Council with its 182 seats and a displayed distribution of party seats. 

Now off to the voting booth…

First, we read a small disclaimer to find out what wahlkabine.at actually is, or rather, what it is not. Then we can get started.

Here is the first question out of twenty general questions in total. It is important that the questions are formulated in a way that they are understandable and relate to people’s real lives. If you want to learn more about a question, you can click on the small info button – a window will pop up where you can either read a short information text or watch a brief 20-second video explanation.

After answering the 20 questions, you will be presented with your own voting tendency, and hopefully, you’ll be more interested in politics.

by georg.kiraly -

Closeup on the UI/UX of wahlkabine.at

In the following I would like to talk more about the interface and the user experience of the website. I would analyze from a basic point of view how the website is built and at the end I’ll give suggestions for improvement, show what are important attributes for young people nowadays and give a small preview of my prototype. I will just display two images to proof my suggestions of improvement.

01. Landing page:
On the start page, one experiences a relatively conservative introduction. If you didn’t know that you were on wahlkabine.at, you probably wouldn’t immediately recognize that it’s about democracy or election information. The many text or the quasi hidden header image make the website seem relatively unemotional or dry. I can imagine that this entrance seems less inviting for children and young people. To get other information, beyond the start page you can reach the other subpages via the citizen menu. A direct link in the direction of the survey or, for example, past results, is not possible directly or only visible after scrolling down for a long time.

02. Burger menu
The burger menu has a lot to offer. It seems like it was very important for the developers to show all possibilites of the website. Furthermore it would have been possible to sum up several bullet points such as “Über Wahlkabine”, “Redaktion” and “Methodik” and/or “Geschichte”. Also its not really common to place the search function inside a burger menu. The coloring of the whole webpage is probabyl chosen because of its diplomatic color (grey) but it’s also pretty boring and not appealing in the colorful world we do live in.

I would suggest adding more emotion, information, and user-friendliness to the webpage. By incorporating different colors, more images, and providing more possibilities for barrier-free information, the website will become more attractive to users of all ages. By intentionally incorporating interaction options on the website, such as sliders, checkboxes, or hover effects, it creates a mild gamification of the website. This increases engagement, and the dry topics of politics, democracy, and participation appear more modern, friendly, and inviting. After completing my prototype, I would focus on testing it in the next semester to form a well-informed opinion about the “new” wahlkabine.at.

by georg.kiraly -

Inclusion leads to participation

The inclusion of youth in the democratic system not only encourages their active participation but also enhances the overall democratic governance. It strengthens the legitimacy and effectiveness of decision-making processes, promotes social cohesion, and cultivates a new generation of informed and engaged citizens who are committed to shaping a better future. To undermine this assumption I’d like to refer to some communal examples.

  1. Der Kindergemeinderat Steiermark
    The Children’s Municipal Council in Styria enables children to actively participate in local decision-making. They express their opinions, concerns, and ideas, shaping their community. Council members, aged around 10 to 14, are democratically elected and discuss topics relevant to children. Their tasks include initiatives like designing playgrounds and organizing events. The initiative promotes political education, empowering children as future citizens. The establishment of these councils varies across municipalities in Styria, all aiming to enhance children’s participation in decision-making processes.
  2. Bürgerforum Vorarlberg
    The Citizen Forum in Vorarlberg is an initiative that enables citizens to actively participate in political decision-making and express their concerns. Selected citizens engage in multi-day events to discuss specific topics, meet experts, and develop proposals. These proposals are submitted to the government, influencing policy decisions. The forum aims to enhance citizen engagement, democratic legitimacy, and transparency in political processes. The government takes the forum’s results seriously, fostering dialogue and trust between citizens and the government. The Citizen Forum exemplifies participatory democracy, empowering citizens to have a say and promoting inclusivity in decision-making.
  3. Die partizipative Kinder- und Jugendmillion der Stadt Wien
    The participatory Children and Youth Million of the City of Vienna is a project aimed at empowering children and young people in Vienna to play an active role in shaping their city. The project provides one million euros that can be used by young people between the ages of 6 and 18 for projects and ideas that aim to improve life in their city.
    What makes the Children and Youth Million special is that the decision on how to allocate the funds is made by the young participants themselves. Children and young people can submit their project proposals and then vote on the distribution of the funds. This process involves them in the democratic decision-making process and enables them to realize their own visions of a livable city. The projects implemented within the framework of the Children and Youth Million are diverse and range from the design of playgrounds and parks to cultural and recreational offerings, as well as environmental and sustainability initiatives. The project fosters the creativity, engagement, and sense of responsibility of young people, allowing them to actively contribute to their environment.

If we now compare the reach of regional or municipal initiatives with the reach of digital platforms such as walhkabine.at, we can see a clear difference. The user figures. Its very difficult to find exact numbers but its an obvious conclusion if we compare the amount of people that are using or have used wahlkabine.at and the report of SORA from the last blog entry.

The use of wahlkabine.at among young voters is considerable. In past elections, wahlkabine.at has been used by a significant number of young voters. For example, in the 2019 National Council elections in Austria, over 300,000 people used the platform to match their political preferences with the parties’ positions. A high number of these users were young people aged 16 to 29.

Although children’s and youth parliaments or initiatives in Vienna, Graz and Linz can also look back on a considerable reach, the digital affinity of the target group plays a major role. In any case, the demand for digital information on political information, whether via social media or specific websites such as wahlkabine.at, grows with every election.

Screenshot of the latest update to the communal election of vienna in 2020 on wahlkabine.at

by georg.kiraly -

The Status quo: “Junge Menschen und Demokratie in Österreich 2022” by SORA-Institute

In 2022, the renowned SORA Institute produced an interesting report on the topic of “Young People and Democracy in Austria. It confirms the assumption I described at the outset.

The report “Young People and Democracy in Austria 2022” by the SORA Institute looks at young people’s views on the political system and their participation in democratic processes. The study was conducted between September 7 and October 21 and included 323 participants aged 16 to 26. The results show that despite an easing of the pandemic situation, the mental health of many young people remains impaired. High inflation has also led to a deterioration in their financial situation, especially among those who already had fewer resources before the pandemic. This has led to a decline in trust in the political system.

Less than half of young people are currently convinced that the political system is functioning well. A large proportion even believe that democracy in Austria is rather weak. Trust in institutions such as parliament and the federal government has also declined. The effects of the crises have a negative impact on system trust. Young people affected by the impact of the crises have less trust. Moreover, few of them feel represented in parliament, which is related to lower trust in parliament. Economic uncertainty has a long-term impact on trust in the political system. Young people in financially precarious situations are more likely to feel that the political system does not function well. More than half of them consider democracy in Austria to be rather weak. In terms of media use, social media platforms, especially Instagram, have become the most important source of information on political issues. Newspapers are also used by about half of young people, and radio has regained importance compared to previous years. The top concerns of young people are inflation, climate change and economic inequality. About half discuss politics with family, friends or colleagues at least once a week. Young people’s political participation has remained constant. They mainly participate in elections and get involved in their immediate environment. About one-fifth are active in volunteer work, especially in the social sector and in blue-light organizations. However, just under one-fifth have had no contact with parliament or political events. Young people are critical of political education in schools. They complain that they are taught too little about the political system and how to conduct political debates, which is particularly important in times of crisis.

Young people are critical of political education in schools. They complain that they are taught too little about the political system and how to conduct political debates, which is particularly important in times of crisis.

SORA Institute – “Junge Menschen und Demokratie in Österreich 2022”
by georg.kiraly -

Tools to raise the interest of participation

At the moment, there are various programs that try to make politics and democracy understandable. This works on the national level as well as on the municipal level. Here are four digital and analogue examples:

  1. Wahlkabine.at
    Since 2009 potential voters are able to use this website to gain more knowledge about potential matches with election programs of all common parties. The aim of Wahlkabine.at is to provide voters with an opportunity to compare their political positions with the positions of the various parties. The platform asks a series of questions on various political topics, and users can state their own positions on these questions. The answers of the different political parties to the same questions are then published on the platform. Voters can then compare their own answers with the parties’ positions and get an overview of which party they have the greatest agreement with in terms of content. Wahlkabine.at also enables users to obtain more information about the individual parties and their election programs.
  2. Several Boardgames
    “Democracy: Majority Rules” is a cooperative board game in which players take on the role of members of parliament and must make decisions together to find the best solution for a fictional community. In the process, they learn about different aspects of democracy, such as the importance of debate, compromise, voting, and representation of the population. Another example is the game “The Political Game – Governing and Making Laws.” It allows players to take on the role of political decision-makers and develop an understanding of the political process by making decisions and drafting laws. The game is designed to show how democracy works and how political decisions are made.
  3. “Der Kanzlersimulator”
    The Chancellor Simulator from SWR is an interactive online tool developed by the Südwestrundfunk (SWR), a public broadcasting company in Germany. The goal of the simulator is to give users the opportunity to slip into the role of a German chancellor and make political decisions. The Chancellor Simulator is based on real-life political scenarios and challenges that a government might face. Users can select different policy areas such as the economy, education, the environment or foreign policy and make decisions by, for example, passing laws or taking political action. What is special about the Chancellor’s Simulator is that it simulates the consequences of the decisions made. The effects of policy are presented to the players in the form of feedback and evaluations. This gives them an impression of how their decisions might affect different areas of society.
  4. “Wer regiert Österreich? Du wenn du es willst”
    The Migration Council’s report, published in December 2016, emphasizes the importance of public support for a successful nationwide migration policy. In response, the migration communication initiative, GEMEINSAM. VIEL BEWEGEN, was launched. It offers interactive programs for different school levels to explore the connections between migration, society, and politics. For upper secondary students, there’s the political simulation game GEMEINSAM. AUSTRIA GOVERNING. It allows players to experience democracy, responsibility, and the impact of migration on society. Interested teachers can book the simulation, GEMEINSAM.ÖSTERREICH REGIEREN, free of charge via ICMPD.
by georg.kiraly -

Let’s focus on democracy

In the last semester, I dealt with the basic question of what possibilities there are, or what possibilities have been used so far, to bring children and young people closer to politics or democracy. In the following, the findings of the last semester will be dealt with a little deeper and more precisely.

In general, the approach this time is not to focus too much on politics or on the politics of the past, but to look at what means can be used to make democracy more interesting in general. What are the parameters that motivate children and young people to have a say and to feel heard. I will have a look at the tools that are already available for this purpose, and use them to determine or discuss where there is a need for action or where I can intervene as an interaction designer.

In Austria, as you know, there are various ways for young people to get involved politically and to express their opinions. For example, there are youth parliaments at the national, regional and local levels where young people can voice their concerns and ideas. These youth parliaments serve as platforms for exchange and discussion on political issues, and their recommendations can influence political decisions. Another important element of youth political participation in Austria is youth organizations of political parties. These organizations offer young people the opportunity to become actively involved in politics, for example by organizing events, running campaigns and engaging in political discussions.

In short, young people can vote, participate in youth parliaments and get involved in youth organizations of political parties. These forms of participation enable them to express their opinions and influence political decisions. So much for the initial situation regarding youth participation. But how can interest in this co-determination be increased?

I would like to move further in this direction.