Unveiling the Social Media Landscape in Finland: Trends, Influencers, and Risks

 Radhipa Fiona Perera on 19 Feb. 2024

"In the 2023 survey, more than 30 percent of individuals aged 18 to 24 reported that their primary news sources in Finland were social media and blogs. All other age groups had percentages below this figure." - www.statista.com  

Social Media & Blogs Usage by Age Groups (18 yrs & older) 👈

In the digital age, social media has become an integral part of the lives of young people. Finland, known for its technological advancements, offers a fascinating landscape for social media research. In this blog post, we'll delve into three key aspects: young people's social media use as depicted by research, the power of influencers, and the trends and risks associated with a specific platform.

Young People and Social Media in Finland: A Closer Look at Research

In Finland, it's important to understand how young people use social media. Many studies have been done to explore this. Researchers look at things like how social media affects mental health and which platforms Finnish youth prefer. These studies help us see the details of how young people in Finland interact with digital platforms. The results give us valuable insights into how social media influences the lives of the younger generation.

Study No.1 : BLENDED LIVES: ICT Talk among Vulnerable Young People in Finland (2016) by Camilla Granholm

This article presents a qualitative study on the use of Information and Communication Technology among Finnish youth participating in training programs outside formal employment and education. The study utilizes data from focus group and individual interviews with young participants, along with a focus group interview involving supervisors. The analysis is based on McQuail's theory of individual media use motives. Key Findings were:

Ø  Young people primarily use ICT for entertainment purposes.

Ø  The use of ICT among young individuals is diverse, with participants choosing tools and interaction dimensions that best fulfill their needs.

Ø  Young people express a preference for face-to-face communication when dealing with severe issues, such as health-related or emotional problems.

Read more: Blended Lives (sagepub.com) 

Study No.2: “THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN FINLAND TODAY - how communication changed overnight” (2017) by Sanna Koivunen

The thesis aimed to explore the use of social media by Finnish young adults in 2017, considering its evolution and impact on communication. Using a qualitative approach with 47 respondents from various locations in Finland, the study found:

Ø  Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are the most frequently used platforms among Finnish millennials. YouTube, Spotify, Pinterest, and LinkedIn are commonly used alongside mainstream social media.

Ø  WhatsApp is preferred for messaging, Facebook for reading others' posts, and Instagram/Snapchat for sharing pictures; Twitter lacks a specific use.

Ø  Valued features in social media were messaging, pictures, the free-to-use aspect and forming groups is highly valued for connecting with multiple people simultaneously.

Ø  The primary reason for use was found as communication with friends while other usage reasons were reading others' posts, communicating with family, and sharing pictures, work-related reasons

Read more: Title of thesis (theseus.fi)

Study No.3 : SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES IN FINLAND: A population-level comparison (2018) by Titiana Ertiö, Iida Kukkonen, and Pekka Räsänen

In the Web 2.0 era, where consumers actively participate in online content creation, this study delves into Finns' social media activities, focusing on content creation, engagement, and sharing. Analyzing data from Statistics Finland representing individuals aged 16 to 74, the findings revealed:

Ø  Finns predominantly see themselves as occasional commentators. Approximately 1 in 5 Finns consider themselves active contributors.

Ø  Most users engage in commenting on other people's posts (57%) and reading blogs (52%); sharing content only 40%.

Ø  Women are more likely to engage in social media practices, especially reading blogs and sharing content. Older users are less likely to participate in reading blogs, sharing content, commenting on posts, and publishing own content. Higher education is positively associated with reading blogs, publishing own content, and sharing content on social media. It was also found that employed individuals are less likely to perform these activities.

Read more: Social media activities in Finland: A population-level comparison - Titiana Ertiö, Iida Kukkonen, Pekka Räsänen, 2020 (sagepub.com)

Study No.4: “CHANGING PATTERNS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE? A population-level study of Finland” (2019) by Ilkka Koiranen, Teo Keipi, Aki Koivula & Pekka Räsänen 

The article examines how social media use in Finland changed from 2008 to 2016, using data from a representative population. It looks at the evolution of social media across different socio-economic and demographic groups in advanced information societies, especially in Finland. The study found:

Ø  Social media use has increased for all population groups in Finland from 2008 onwards, aligning with global technological trends.

Ø  Younger individuals were found to be more active users.

Ø  Rural areas showed lower usage rates and metropolitan regions demonstrate higher usage

Ø  Women have been slightly more active social media users since 2010, with a diminishing gap between genders since 2012. Female participants tend to favor social media for relationship purposes.

Read more: Changing patterns of social media use? A population-level study of Finland | Universal Access in the Information Society (springer.com) 

Traditional Media vs. Social Media: The Influencer Power Play

How much power does influencers have? And why?

1. Reach and Follower Count: Influencers with a large number of followers have a broader reach, potentially increasing their impact when sharing content or promoting products.

2. Engagement Levels: The level of engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares, indicates how actively an influencer's audience interacts with their content, reflecting a responsive audience.

3. Niche and Expertise: Specialization in a specific niche or industry establishes credibility and trust, giving influencers more influence within that particular domain.

4. Authenticity and Trustworthiness: Influencers perceived as authentic and trustworthy build stronger connections with their audience, fostering greater influence.

5. Impact on Purchasing Decisions: An influencer's ability to influence their followers' purchasing decisions is a key measure of their power, often leading to brand collaborations.

6. Media Channels and Platforms: The choice of social media platform can affect an influencer's reach and effectiveness, as different platforms attract diverse demographics.

7. Trendsetting and Cultural Impact: Some influencers have the power to set trends and influence broader cultural discussions, extending beyond product promotion.

8. Consistency and Longevity: Influencers who maintain consistency in content quality, messaging, and engagement over time may have more enduring influence.

Now let’s analyse the above with a famous Finnish influencer - Joalin Loukamaa

Obviously all Fins would know who Joalin Loukamaa is, but for those who don’t know - she is a Finnish singer, dancer, and social media influencer. She gained popularity through her involvement with the multinational girl group Now United which is known for bringing together artists from various countries, showcasing their talents in music and dance.

Checklist:

1. Follower Count and Reach: Joalin Loukamaa's followers count over 3.1 M only in Instagram. Her popularity in Now United might have contributed to a significant following.

2. Engagement Levels: Her very recent Instagram post has 34,3 K  & 1213 comments. Such high engagement indicates an active and engaged audience.

3. Niche and Expertise: Joalin Loukamaa is known for her expertise in singing and dancing. Most of her posts align with her professional background, showing her credibility in the entertainment industry.

4. Authenticity and Trustworthiness: Her posts don’t show any conflict of interest and it could be said that she is transparent in her communication.

5. Impact on Purchasing Decisions:  She has been involved in brand collaborations such as with Valentino Beauty , Lorealluxe.fi , Levi.ski  & SPR Kontti  etc.  Therefore, her recommendations could influence the purchasing decisions of her followers.

6. Media Channels and Platforms: Joalin is active in many social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube etc. Most of her followers are young adults and teenagers.

7. Trendsetting and Cultural Impact: since her band 'Now United'  is multi-cultural, she shows respect for different cultures. In one of her posts she writes , "We are all equal, We all deserve the same opportunities, same treatment, same respect and same love."  This post gets 495,273 likes - that's more than what she has received for her other posts.

8. Consistency and Longevity: Joalin has been on Instagram from December 2018 and since then has shown consistency in sharing post as she makes sure to post every week, sometimes even in consecutive two days.  This makes sure that her content is timely and it helps her to be connected with her fans.

9. Reliability as a Source: Majority of her posts consist of photographs of her taken prior to events or outings in fashionable outfits. Since her followers show positive attitudes, comments for her post it can be said that her fans well-receive her fashionable trends and poses.

It's crucial to note that while Joalin provides insights into her life, social media influencers like her, may not consistently offer reliable information. However, it's essential to approach social media influencers with a critical mindset, recognizing their primary role in entertainment and promotion rather than relying on them as conventional sources of factual information. For accurate and up-to-date information, cross-referencing with various sources, including news outlets or official statements, is recommended.

Trends and Tools: Navigating a Social Media Platform

We're going to check out the trends on a popular social media platform – Instagram. 

Trends on Instagram:

Instagram; shortened as ‘Insta’ has some cool trends right now. People love making short videos called Reels that are funny or interesting. Also, everyone likes seeing real and honest posts instead of ones that look too perfect. People often work with brands to show their products in posts. People also use fun features like polls and quizzes to make their posts more interactive.

Risks on Instagram:

Instagram is fun, but we need to be careful too. Sometimes, we might share too much personal stuff without realizing it. There can be mean comments or messages, and that's not good. Feeling the need to always look perfect on Instagram can also make us feel not so good about ourselves. And be aware, sometimes the information we see might not be true. So, it's important to keep things private, be kind online, and not believe everything we see.