Angela Merkel does not use a social media – a shame actually

The former Chancellor Angela Merkel has rarely commented publicly since she retired. It is all the more astonishing that in a current interview the topic of social media was discussed. More precisely: the fact that it does not use social media itself.

“I myself find out about newspapers, TV programs and read online media,” said Merkel, 71, on Monday of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). In addition, it is “not actively actively on X or TikK or Instagram”. It is granted to the ex-Chancellor that she prefers to use classic information media privately. As – now – pure private individuals, of course, she has the right to leave Instagram and Co. on the left.

For Angela Merkel’s heirs, today’s politicians, such ignorance is simply unprofessional. You should have long recognized that more and more young people do not consume any or hardly classic media. Show and. These people- and this also includes countless 30- to 40-year-olds- often only relate to social networks.

You can still try to discuss it: the “young” people can almost only be reached on the Internet. Even there, they no longer go to something old -fashioned like websites: the typing of a URL is to a certain extent an imposition for teenagers today. Instead, simply open your favorite social media apps and scroll through Instagram, Tiktok or Snapchat. There, the content is tailored to your interests and attention spans. And what does not take place there does not exist for these young people.

But do you actively deal with Friedrich Merz when scrolling? Questionable. The Instagram account follow an impressive 2.7 million people, but content is mostly limited to high-gloss press pictures of official occasions, in between the question about Merz ‘favorite book. He did a little better on Tikkok- but only until after his choice he switched from the party to Chancellor account. Since then: boredom.

Yes, there is a lot of laughter about Markus Söder (CSU), who likes to eat sausages. You can criticize that on dozens of levels, and of course that doesn’t make him a good politician. But it makes him a politician who is tangible for the users of social media.

Or Heidi Reichinnek (Die Linke), who follow more than 620,000 people. She realized that you have to communicate differently on the net than otherwise the politician likes to do: briefly summarize, get to the point, get concrete announcements. The whole thing also likes to prepare optically somewhat gaudy.

What the examples of Söder and Reichinnek show: It works when you seriously operate it.

And other politicians should finally do that – and not only leave the field to the AfD and its environment. As is well known, they have been active on social media for a long time and know the rules of the game there. Anyone who registers fresh in one of the larger networks will not have to wait long for right content to be proposed by the algorithm. As an adult, you may wipe it in outrage. As a teenager, you may take a look at it.

It is an uncomfortable truth that AfD and Co. have developed a lead on the net for years, because many democratic politicians prefer to keep it like Angela Merkel: You don’t really want to have anything to do with social media. If at all, you may let the youngest employee of the team create a few loveless content or post pictures of a briefcase like ex-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. With this kind of boomer humor, however, the corresponding target group makes it clear how low the interest in it is. A devastating impression, because young people in particular have a fine feeling for authenticity.

Nowadays, social media are the only way to reach a significant part of the young voters directly. Shouldn’t a Federal Chancellor who takes his office seriously should of course plan the corresponding time in his strictly pounded day in order to maintain contact with this part of the population?

In any case, Friedrich Merz has made it only slightly better than its predecessor. Social media is more effective than any election poster to advertise its content and character for itself. Why not publish a live stream again and again? An AMA (“Ask Me Anything” – asks me everything) on ​​Reddit, a regular question and answer session on your own Instagram channel?

As much as Angela Merkel has every right to put the smartphone aside, it would have been so nice if, instead, she had said in the “Noz” interview which channels she follows, what content she finds important, which problematic. And to become a role model for your current colleagues in the Bundestag.

In addition, it should not only be important to all active top politicians to even appear on social networks – but there good and successful to be active. Why advertise voters, but not about followers?

And: Nobody gets their fingers dirty when they simply consume himself and scroll through the feeds. It really can’t hurt to know what the young people are currently moving – or what can accuse you of certain groups there.