Generation Z enters the chat as the new generation of voters in America that both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are eagerly trying to influence.
With a range of Instagram photos and short 15-second TikTok videos, both candidates are taking advantage of the hype of social media to push their political agendas. This gives the impression of the candidates’ willingness to move into lesser-known territory to bridge the gap between themselves and younger voters.
Memes are frequently utilized on Trump and Harris’s Instagram and TikTok pages. Some poke fun at one another, and some use viral “sounds.” Where Trump has focused on creating content with influencers like Logan Paul, Harris has utilized the summer rise of Charli XCX’s “Brat” album to inspire her content.
Some students feel that the campaigns do not encourage them to vote, as they believe the candidates pay too much attention to trading barbs rather than discussing their policies.
Alexander Nuehaus, a junior criminal justice major, said he had seen the candidates’ memes and ads on YouTube, saying that they don’t play a role in his decision to vote since he is looking for “their policies rather than the memes.”
“I am already interested in voting,” Nuehaus said. “I noticed that on social media, both Trump and Kamala are bashing each other, and that makes me lose respect for them. I believe they should focus more on the American people than trying to make each other look bad.”
Keiri Shuyama, a freshman philosophical theology major, shared similar thoughts. She said she is also exposed to political advertisements and memes on YouTube, recognizing the spectacle but rejecting any sort of tangible benefit to Gen Z.
“They do not make me want to vote - it makes me aware of the lightheartedness to the election,” Shuyama said. “I am always getting political ads, commercials, and banners. The one ad that caught my eye was on YouTube where Biden was showing support for Kamala, he was endorsing Kamala.”
Shuyama said she thinks it is important to vote, but sees the candidates’ social media warfare as patronizing because they are not discussing the issues affecting Gen Z. Instead, Harris and Trump are trying to get closer to Gen Z merely through their reliance on memes, according to Shuyama.
“I want them to discuss their platforms and what they stand for,” Shuyama said. “I want to know the candidate's agenda since they will be the ones calling the shots.”
However, not everyone feels the same way. Jeremiah Robinson-Hagans, a first-year diplomacy and international relations major, said he sees the memes primarily on TikTok and YouTube and thinks they help get a sense of the candidates’ feelings.
“Kamala Harris’s memes are fun and informative, and they can be used as arguments against Trump,” Robinson-Hagans said. “This makes me want to vote for Kamala.”
Robinson-Hagans added that if you find someone that you’d like to represent you, you also want to see how they acknowledge you, before discussing what ads have stuck out to him.
“The one video that sticks out is a woman saying that if Donald Trump was their nominee, there would be a President Kamala Harris and Kamala Harris then says she approves this message,” Robinson-Hagans said.
The last day to register to vote in New Jersey for the 2024 presidential election is Oct. 15. Students can register using TurboVote in partnership with Seton Hall at https://www.shu.edu/student-government/register-to-vote.html.
Victory Odundoyin is a writer for the Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at victory.odundoyin@student.shu.edu.
