Methods of Advocation and Activism 

The internet and social media is not only used for the educational side of politics, but also to raise awareness for issues that plague the United States and the world. The coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, LGBTQ+ activism, voter registration, climate change, and the 2020/2024 presidential elections are only a few political topics that have been addressed on Tiktok, where young voters target these issues. A prime example of this is a teen named Olivia Julianna, who raised $2 million dollars for abortion access after being targeted by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who shared a photo of Olivia and claimed that abortion activists were women “nobody wants to impregnate.” Following this incident, she worked with a group called Gen-Z for change, advocating through multiple social media outlets, one of which was Tiktok. Overall, the use of media engagement has grown as a resource, accessing more people and raising awareness for a political issue that one believes is important, either on a personal or more general level. 

Gen-Z focuses on raising awareness, changing policy decisions, or driving change for particular problems. For example, 70% of Gen Z individuals believe that society should be more welcoming and accepting towards people of different races and ethnicities, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics. To truly raise awareness for these issues, young people reach beyond just the internet and social media. To make an impact, Gen Z gets involved in grassroots movements, protests, marches, and local community events. The organization of these events are made easier by taking advantage of the internet, where they are shared and able to reach an immense number of people that are passionate about change. These alterations concern those such as gun control, climate change, and racial justice, among the many other key issues that are vital to the future of the country.

The Influence of Celebrity Involvement 

The impact that worldwide celebrities and billionaires have on the outcome of political elections is not unnoticeable, especially after bearing witness to the beginnings of the 2024 presidential election. Arguably, the biggest celebrity endorsement that has taken place in both the 2020 and 2024 elections has been Taylor Swift. Swift has spoken out about her political beliefs and concerns, which is known as celebrity activism. Through stating legitimate causes of concern with her followers and supporters on social media, she has the power to actually sway votes in the direction of which she supports. In addition to Swift, Beyonce is a prime example of the way that celebrities can influence the world of politics, including the shaping of opinions and the raising of funds, which deeply blends aspects of both pop culture and politics. However, these two influential women are not the first celebrities to side with a politician or a political party. Over a century, countless celebrities have issued political endorsements. Celebrities know the impact of their voice and the power that it holds, and they take advantage of this power to advocate for their personal political beliefs. 

By peering deeper into the point of celebrity influence, it is a fact that 34% of Gen Z voters state that they are more likely to vote if Taylor Swift endorses a candidate, and 40% of them feel this way about Beyonce’s endorsement. Swift’s activism has resulted in the engagement of newer generations in politics, including Generation Z, and to push these young individuals to advocate for change, as well as encouraging them to vote. Since Gen Z is the age demographic that is most directly linked with the Swift and Beyonce fandom, it is also the cohort that will be the most affected by celebrity endorsements. 

Moreover, A relatively new and influential part of the 2024 election campaign is the adoption of pop culture to particularly capture the votes of Gen Z. After Joe Biden’s presidency, the Kamala campaign is aware that they must win the votes of Generation Z in order to win the presidential race. The media team has gone as far to hire Gen Z interns to run the social media accounts, one of which is the Kamala HQ Tiktok account. This page has connected popular Tiktok trends to Kamala Harris’s campaign, and according to the comments on the videos posted, the account seems to be successful among the Gen Z population that it reaches. One specific trend that launched the Kamala Harris campaign into the Gen Z spotlight was the adoption of Brat, which is an album by the artist Charli XCX. This ultimately stemmed from Charli XCX stating that “kamala IS brat,” which resulted in the explosive response of Gen Z on various media platforms. This example illustrates that Gen Z is both directly and indirectly influenced by celebrities, with pop culture having an immense impact on these young voters. 

Conclusion 

Overall, Gen Z is the demographic that grew up alongside iPhones, and developed simultaneously to the creation and improvement of technology. Although this may have a negative connotation, there has been a major political impact as a result of the increased access to information, allowing people to expand and improve their knowledge of political candidates, while also educating themselves about issues that greatly impact our country and the world. As a result of this, young minds are being shaped in a way that has never been seen before, feeding young people political facts at a rapid rate. Educating those that are the future of our country is vital, and the existence of the internet permits this learning. However, to further see how people of Gen Z are educated and where they get their information, we must further focus on the use of social media, celebrity involvement, and methods of advocation and activism. By targeting these aspects and by seeing how they affect the political views of Gen Z, society can better understand the effect that young voters have on politics and the overall future of the United States.

12/16/2024