As online activism grows, young adults struggle to evaluate flood of information

By Janiyah Gaston >>

Generation Z is turning to TikTok, YouTube and Twitch to engage in discussions and debates on the upcoming election. It’s more than the content that’s grabbing attention—it’s the viral nature of these conversations.

Two recent videos skyrocketed in popularity: “Can One Woke Teen Survive Twenty Trump Supporters?” and “Can 25 Liberal College Students Outsmart 1 Conservative?” They amassed 10 million and 18 million views respectively.

The woke teen is Dean Withers, a TikTok influencer who graduated from high school in 2022 and now has 950,000 followers. The conservative is Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, an organizer of young conservatives and supporter of Trump’s.

The debates feature hot button issues like abortion and transgender identity.These debates – hosted by the YouTube channel Jubilee, which describes itself as a company that “pushes boundaries, tackles taboos, and breaks the rules” – are reshaping how young people consume political content. Jubilee embraces discomfort and conflict as tools to spark human connection. As they put it, “We’re not afraid to go there.”

Generation Z represents a segment of voters who will feel the impact of political decisions and policies the longest. It’s important that they’re getting reliable and relevant information. Are these discussions merely clickbait? Or are they conversations that genuinely enable progress towards engaging young adults in politics and civic duty?

To find answers to these questions, we need to understand what Generation Z cares about politically, why this online content resonates with their interests, and how they can examine it and confirm its credibility so they can use it as a tool to make informed decisions at the polls, both local and national.

In 2023, Murmuration, an organization dedicated to social engagement of young people, conducted research to understand the younger generation’s attitudes and perspectives on a selection of key issues to determine how to engage them in politics. It partnered with The Walton Family Foundation and SocialSphere’s John Della Volpe, director of the Harvard Youth Poll and author of Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America. The purpose of this research was to understand “Zoomers”, and elevate their voices, due to the impact they stand to have on the future of America, given they’re 70 million strong.

In the days and weeks immediately following the 2022 midterms, the survey gathered information from both voters and non-voters through various methods. Exit polls were conducted with 606 participants, including 151 individuals aged 18-29. Additionally, six focus groups were held, four of which included participants who voted in the midterms, and two focused on non-voters. Both focus groups consisted of 18-40-year-olds. A national survey was also conducted, gathering responses from 3,227 individuals aged 15-25, with a comparison group of 1,036 adults aged 26 and older. Lastly, informal conversations with high school and college students across different regions of the country provided insights that may have been missed in more formal surveys or polls.

The research showed that Generation Z often relies on digital platforms to guide their political decisions. In fact, 36 percent of Gen Z get their information from the internet, followed by 12 percent from social media, and 10 percent from email.

When it comes to political issues, Zoomers prioritize topics that will shape the future of society. For the 2022 midterm elections, 78 percent of Gen Z voters said addressing systemic racism was crucial. Additionally, they stood out as the only generation to rank abortion and reproductive rights (29 percent) as their top concern. The economy and inflation followed with a combined 12 percent.

Other important issues for Gen Z included climate change, school safety, and student debt forgiveness — all areas that impact vulnerable populations.

However, a major concern for many young voters was a lack of information to complete their ballots. This led to 67 percent of Gen Z voters in the study not finishing their ballots.

To engage Generation Z civically, the key is meeting them where they are: online. Recommendations for reaching this generation include presenting information in familiar formats, using relatable messages, and experimenting with new ways of delivering content. Keeping public education front and center in political discussions is also crucial.

Many media platforms are already addressing the key issues Zoomers care about—systemic racism, reproductive rights, climate change and more—through creative, sometimes provocative content. “Can One Woke Teen Survive Twenty Trump Supporters?” brings these debates into the digital space, engaging younger viewers with bold claims and straightforward discussions on topics like racism and the economy.

The clickbaity title may be entertaining, but the perspectives offered can serve as a resource for older generations and institutions aiming to encourage young voter engagement.

Information literacy

However, while online activism is growing, it poses a challenge: how can young adults critically evaluate the flood of information they encounter? Without traditional gatekeepers like news editors, it’s up to Gen Z to sift through content, discerning fact from opinion.

This freedom comes with challenges. Todd Graham, professor of debate at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, warned that “the people who set up the videos are creating carefully edited, scripted at times, and ‘made-for-the-internet’ entertainment.”

As SIU lecturer Justin Young explained, “If you have a political opinion, you no longer need NBC or The New York Times to publish it. You can hop online and potentially reach millions worldwide. That’s a huge shift in how we communicate. Of course, there’s also the reality that large multinational corporations run by billionaires can place a thumb on the scale of which messages get seen or not seen by altering algorithms. We have seen this, for example, with Elon Musk.”

Universities play a key role in preparing students to thrive in this new media landscape. As Young points out, “College composition classes generally do an excellent job of teaching students about source reliability…that sort of thinking works whether you’re looking at academic journals, news media sources, websites, or social media.”

Graham also stresses the importance of public debate skills, emphasizing that “understanding how arguments are formed is invaluable.”

The Gen Z: Post-Election study found that many young voters felt under-equipped to make informed choices at the polls. Rather than relying on celebrity endorsements, which young adults can easily see through, researchers recommend universities explore smaller social networks and peer connections to mobilize young voters effectively. These peer-based networks may prove more persuasive, fostering a sense of trust and connection within the community.

Young also said he often recognizes a certain segment of students who have a “they’re all the same and nothing matters” attitude when it comes to politics and public institutions.

“Of course, college students are often the most politically engaged, too – not just in right/left debates, but at what can be seen by some as more niche political issues such as animal rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and others. At 18 it can be hard to feel directly connected with issues of free trade, Social Security, etc. Engaging with students, whether on campus or virtually, on those more niche issues is much better at galvanizing them into action and debate.”

What voters are saying

Jonas Mansky, a 2020 graduate from Iowa State with a degree in human physiology, said he is conscious about what he considers credible sources when he is engaging with political content.

“I usually go about all content online the same way, it depends on the source. If it’s a governmental source such as a newspaper or some kind of non-profit, I am more likely to trust it,” he said.

Shakira Del Toro, another student from Iowa State who received her English and creative writing degree in 2021, said she investigates political information in her social feeds.

“I don’t really trust anything on the internet, but I guess Facebook feeds me the most information which leads to Google searches.”

Shakira said that it’s hard to believe anything she reads or hears.

“I’m not really doing my due diligence as a citizen to be honest. I don’t keep up with politics. Hardly anything ever really changes or gets done,” she says. “Speaking to family, coworkers and friends probably influences my decision the most.”

Katie Kwasneski is a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a staff reporter for the Daily Egyptian.

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