Features of the UK parliamentary election campaign 2017: the phenomenon of «youthquake»

The paper considers the phenomenon of social media as a factor that causes an ambiguous impact on the electoral process. The authors analyze this problem on the example of the Western democratic state - Great Britain. It is particularly emphasized that the electoral legislation of this country needs to be changed, since in this configuration of the model of the electoral system it is difficult to prevent the distortion of the will of British voters, especially when converting votes into mandates. It is noted that the development of Internet technologies and their use as information support for the conservative party of Great Britain during the 2006 election campaign contributed to the mobilization of the younger generation. Attention is drawn to the fact that the subsequent electoral cycles are no exception, that is, social media is increasingly involved in the UK's electoral process. The paper analyzes the features of using social media (advertising, etc.) in the election campaign on the example of the case of early parliamentary elections in the UK in 2017. It is emphasized that, despite the significant influence of traditional media, the Internet is the key communication channel for young people. It is noted that the phenomenon of «youthquake» is not so much related to the technical component of social media, but rather to the convergence of populist ideas and the network component, which allowed the Labour Party to improve its position in the UK Parliament. Working with young people through social networks allows them to be involved in the electoral process. The authors emphasize that the new phenomena of the digital age require appropriate legislative regulation (correction of electoral legislation on a number of issues).