Kid Campaigning 

The 2024 Presidential Election was full of spectacle. The high budget ads, the party atmosphere at the DNC, and heavy use of celebrity endorsement all led to quite the popularity contest between the two candidates. In tandem with that, key markers of both campaigns were their heavy use of social media. In a modern age, social media is the tool used for most promotional purposes, it has the largest access and the widest impact, and especially captures the young vote. However, some believe they may have taken a step too far, prioritizing sensationalism and fear mongering over important politics. I interviewed 2 non-voting age students for their take on the matter, to see how this issue might hold with someone who does not necessarily have reason to learn about the campaign outside of the lens of social media. 

Madison Baylor (CAPA 11th), used a word, specifically in reference to  republican campaigning, that struck me; cringy. “The republicans, on their Tik Tok, post the most cringy, like bashing things and I just have to laugh, like, this is what we’re voting for?”  When asked about the democratic accounts, she cited a specific post that was a video about all of Trump’s ‘worst looks’, “I just thought it was really funny.” Despite this, when asked if the use of trends and bashing is a good thing for campaigning over all, “The way they're just bashing each other and making these trends, it takes away from the seriousness of it, how important it is.” She says that though she herself is educated on actual policy and political issues that both of these campaigns are supporting and promising, that is only because of her AP Government class, and that teens who are only viewing it through social media will not get that kind of information. 

In my experience, whilst scrolling through social media in the depths of the campaign, what I almost always saw were videos that either strongly highlighted the chosen candidates personal character and connections, or bashed that of their opposer. Shaking the hands of their constituents, visiting small businesses in their respective demographics, and playing the comparison game, see this? My opponent would never do this.  The only time I every viewed an ad that actually addressed issues was during TV ads. The average teenager now accesses television through streaming, and rarely ever views a TV ad. Most of the young people in our country, especially those less politically involved, would be getting all their knowledge about both candidates from these videos. 

The second interviewee, Midge Medovikova, had similar views. When talking about Trump’s interviews, he more touched on his use of exaggeration and grandiose phrasing, “What I found in Trump's ads is that all the trans people are getting…surgeries in prison[Said in reference to Trump’s quote during the debate], and I just find it hard to take seriously when I think we have bigger issues in our country than what inmates are getting what surgeries.” When asked, he admits that Kamala’s presence online has helped her somewhat, also highlighting the slightly more positive tone her messaging takes on in comparison with her opponent. In regards to the impact the internet has on campaigning as a whole, Midge took issue with integrity, “Generally on social media and, like, everywhere the ads are very paid for.  I just don’t think politics should be a place for money. I don’t think that we should have politicians campaigning for sponsors. Politics in news networks and on social media is very biased in that way. I think if social media is being used at all it should just be used as an informational platform, as an unbiased third party.” 

It is clear that, though both these parties don’t technically have a say in this election, it is still important to them to be given information that matters, as opposed to an attack on character. Though following trends can be evidently effective and amusing, it also tips the scale on the balance between showmanship and policy within a campaign, and in the case of this specific election it seems that scale is tipping too far. 

Sources: kamalahq on Tik Tok

realdonaldtrump on Tik Tok 

KamalaHarris on X 

realDonaldTrump on X 

kamalaharris on Instagram 

realdonaldtrump on Instagram