Beer benches or government: TikTok video causes excitement at folk festival!

Beer benches or government: TikTok video causes excitement at folk festival!

The latest trends in the digital world are impressively demonstrated by the example of a TikTok video that was recorded at the Hofer Volksfest in Upper Franconia. A short clip caused quite a stir at the event, which is considered the “largest and most beautiful festival in the region” and ran until August 3rd. The user showed visitors crowded together dancing on a beer bench and jumping to the music. Your comment, “Germans have more trust in these benches than in the government?!”, is aimed sharply at trust in the current federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and reflects the societal insecurities that recent surveys have revealed Merkur reports.

In just two days, the clip garnered nearly 210,000 likes, over 32,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments. Many of the responses were humorous, comparing the supposed stability of the beer banks to that of government and personal relationships. This is a clear sign of how strong the need for humor and criticism of the current political situation is. The Munich Oktoberfest is also mentioned in this context, with many visitors expected to dance on benches and tables despite rising beer prices.

Young voters and the importance of social media

A further look at the social landscape shows that platforms like TikTok are increasingly playing an important role in disseminating information, especially among 18 to 24 year olds. As a comment from Deutschlandfunk Kultur shows, social media is the main source of information for more than a third of this age group. More and more young adults feel neglected by politics and traditional media. At the same time, right-wing populists are dominating the TikTok stage by focusing on quantity instead of quality, thereby driving a shift to the right among those under 30, especially before the 2024 European elections.

The established parties have now recognized the importance of TikTok and are trying to reach exactly this target group with creative content. But as can be seen on social networks, not all politically motivated videos are successful. Examples include failed content such as a CDU representative in a wolf costume or Olaf Scholz's stiff appearance. The challenge for politicians is to understand the trends and memes without appearing embarrassing.

The status of TikTok and other social media

By 2025, TikTok will already have 1.9 billion active users globally and is rapidly increasing. In Germany, 24 million users have joined the platform, with the 14 to 29 age group particularly well represented - according to AgoraPulse, it is the fastest growing platform in the country. It is all the more important for politicians to place their messages and content in a targeted manner.

In comparison, the use of platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Facebook is still considered high, but younger users are becoming less active on Facebook, while Instagram and TikTok are leading the race among younger people. On average, users in Germany spend around 1 hour and 39 minutes per day on social media, with this figure being 2 hours among 18 to 24 year olds.

The exciting developments surrounding the Hof Volksfest and the TikTok debate clearly show how close digital trends and political issues are to each other. The new generation is actively seizing the opportunity to raise their voices through creative content and have a direct impact on public discussions. It remains to be seen how politics will react to these dynamics and how the relationship between citizens and the government will develop in an increasingly digitalized world.