“Haven’t you seen the TikToks?”
When my family asked me that, I informed them that I had, in fact, seen the TikToks.
Following the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention and the announcement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the primary Democratic candidate, there was a fight for the conquest of my “For You Page.” Whether it be the words “kamala is so brat” in reference to the iconic “brat summer” named after Charli XCX’s summer album, or the support of Trump by Tiktoker Bryce Hall, there was a constant push and pull as to who would get ultimate control over both my political support and my social media retention.
The references and trends have become integrated in the language used in Gen-Z conversations not related to politics. This can be seen in a question Harris’ mother asked, echoed by the masses: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” This approach is nothing short of genius, as using these trends is the best way to reel in young voters. Similarly to his democratic counterpart, Trump is no stranger to his own trends. Following the debate between Trump and Harris, there have been sounds going viral of Trump’s responses, particularly his answer of “I have concepts of a plan,” to the moderator.
Voters in the past have primarily gotten their information through news networks and political organizations. This has all changed, as, now, the ongoing political infiltration of social media pivots Gen-Z to having a deeper connection with politics. No longer are potential voters forced to access information through news organizations, but they are now able to directly interface with political campaigns to make their own informed decisions.
Looking solely at the online presence of the official campaign accounts, @teamtrump on TikTok has six of ten of their latest videos dedicated to making their opponent look bad. Similarly @KamalaHQ on TikTok has four of ten demeaning videos toward their opponent. These attacks are used as ways to grab attention like the rest of their political marketing in this election cycle. These attention grabbers may lead viewers into further research on the different policies of various candidates.
Videos that explicitly share policies are the pathway to losing the attention of the younger generation. Gen-Z is highly skeptical and weary of people in political power, and this change is not easily swayed by a few videos. These trends online are smart; these campaigns are calculated. They’re a perfect “hook, line and sinker” into riling Gen-Z into becoming fully educated, aware voters.
