Staff Reports
Kamala Harris’s attempt to catapult herself into the political limelight during her brief presidential campaign was so ambitious it almost deserves a sitcom. The Vice President turned her gaze away from seasoned political strategists and instead harnessed the influence of social media “content creators” — because why not ask a TikTok dancer about foreign policy?
In a world where young voters are more likely to hear about current events from a viral dance challenge than a political commercial, Harris’s strategy was clearly to tap into the vast ocean of social media influencers. The notion was that these creators could rouse young voters of color from their TikTok stupor and summon them to polling stations. However, exactly how listening to someone who’s known for their lip-syncing skills translates into informed voting decisions remains a mystery that could stump even the best political scientists.
The Number of Americans Who Get Their News From Social Media Influencers Is Eye-Opening https://t.co/QhqLcnJLkT
— Fedup American 🇺🇲💪 (@Fedup026) November 21, 2024
A recent report revealed that about a third of adults between 18 and 29 rely on TikTok for their news, which has also lured in Donald Trump like a moth to a flame. The former President figured that if Harris could play the social media game, so could he, leading to an unholy join forces of Snapchat filters and serious political discourse. It’s a brave new world, indeed, where policy debates are punctuated by meme-worthy moments and algorithm-driven opinions.
Moreover, Pew Research Center chimed in with some eye-opening stats, indicating that approximately 21 percent of Americans regularly consume news from influencers. This figure swells to 37 percent for those millennials and Gen Z-ers who may have never even seen a newspaper (does anyone still read these?). Interestingly, there’s little distinction between the parties when it comes to benefiting from influencer news—who knew both sides could unite in the quest for TikTok fame?
Interestingly, influencer audiences seem to think these social media talking heads enhance their understanding of current events. In a thrilling twist that no one could predict, 65 percent of influencer followers claim they grasp civic issues better thanks to influencer insights. But let’s be real; when nearly a third of these consumers mostly agree with the opinions being pushed, it raises several eyebrows—and probably quite a few facepalms too. Who needs nuanced debates when you can just scroll through memes and call it a day? It seems the bar for political understanding is being set at an all-time low, and social media is throwing in the confetti.
