The US political landscape is in upheaval as Kamala Harris steps in as the Democratic nominee, a move that electrified Democratic voters and turned the campaign narrative on its head. One unexpected factor: GenZ’s potent social media influence. Harris’s campaign story is now interwoven with the threads of digital pop culture.

But what happens when we blur the lines between social media and traditional news, celebrity with political figure, and personality with presidential fitness? Harris’ attempt to navigate this media ecosystem will surely look different from Trump’s

With two polarizing figures vying for the presidency, Glimpse investigated what is prompting GenZ voters to lean one way or another, and social media’s role in this decision.

We surveyed 199 GenZ voters across the US to uncover what truly drives their candidate choices.

The Role of Social Media

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are shaping Gen Z opinions, often highlighting personality traits rather than policy choices.

When asked to choose the top two ways in which GenZ respondents learn about presidential candidates, the results are as follows:

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With 43% of respondents using TikTok and another 29% turning to Instagram for political information, short form content regarding a candidate’s demeanor, social media behavior, and viral moments dominate the conversation.

When asked how often respondents fact-check political information they come across, the results varied significantly, though the largest segment revealed they fact-check only sometimes (33%).

This reality makes GenZ audiences particularly vulnerable to false news, biased information, and peer influence rather than individual policy and political alignment.

(Of course the vast majority of American voters from across generations tend to vote more on personality than on politics. But the media landscape influencing these perceptions has shifted dramatically.)

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Policy vs. Personality: Featuring AI Analytics (Feature coming soon!)

I used  Glimpse’s new AI Analytics feature (now in beta) to instantly uncover key storylines and then present them in a series of quantitative charts and graphs, short narratives, and supporting respondent quotations. (The feature automatically explores the entire dataset by investigating every possible correlation–using cross-tabs–across 20+ demographic data points and responses to close and open-ended questions.)

I was able to understand what weighs more in the upcoming election for GenZ voters: personality or policy?

The AI Analytics analysis is as follows:

Generation Z, often characterized as the digital-native cohort aged 16 to 27, appears to be significantly influenced by personality traits and online presence when evaluating presidential candidates. This trend is particularly evident from various responses that emphasize a candidate’s character over their policies. For instance, many respondents focus heavily on personal characteristics such as honesty, trustworthiness, past actions, and scandals rather than specific policy positions.

Statistical data reveals that up to 73% of Gen Z respondents consider personal life aspects somewhat influential in their decision-making process, underscoring the importance of these traits. Specifically, 8% consider it a major factor, 24% consider it significant and 41% consider it somewhat important. Furthermore, Kamala Harris maintains higher support among groups that might prioritize likeability and relatability, while Donald Trump garners attention due to his polarizing persona and controversial background.

Many respondents highlighted aspects of Kamala Harris’s identity (race and gender) and how they perceive her use of these factors for gaining support or facing criticism. A recurring theme was the focus on her being a black woman, with the results nearly split between those seeing it as an advantage, those seeing it as a hindrance and those who are not sure. Additionally, comments on her political actions and personal scandals indicate that these aspects are considered more heavily than specific policies.

Regardless of political affiliation, respondents felt that one’s character heavily influenced their voting choice. Segmented by political affiliation, here are the most notable patterns to emerge  from the study.

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The Democrats

Donald Trump

Many Democrats reveal that social media has reinforced or even intensified their negative perceptions of Trump. Issues highlighted include unpresidential behavior, misinformation spread by Trump, and criminal allegations. Social media’s role in underlining Trump’s controversial actions and statements aligns with Democrats general disapproval, solidifying their stance against him.

Kamala Harris

Contrastingly, a number of Democrat respondents expressed a positive influence from social media, describing Harris as competent, honest, and highlighting her potential as the first black female president. TikTok trends and other social media content led several participants to form opinions, both positive and neutral, about Harris. A small group expressed distrust, dissatisfaction, or outright disapproval of Harris based on what they encountered online, though the majority felt positive or neutral about social media’s influence on their views of Harris.

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The Republicans

Kamala Harris

A number of respondents expressed a negative view of Harris, with comments such as “made me dislike her even more” and “she’s the devil.” A few responses were positive, mentioning that social media showed Harris in a good light and made them see her as a good candidate. Overall, though, the majority of responses leaned towards a negative perception of Harris influenced by social media.

‍Donald Trump

A notable portion of Republicans perceive social media as overly critical or biased against Trump. Many expressed skepticism towards accusations against Trump, believing them to be politically motivated or exaggerated by social media. Some stated that they felt social media made him out to be a criminal or focused on his less presidential actions, while many mentioned that social media highlighting his negative traits painted him in an inaccurate light.  

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Who has the GenZ Vote?

When asked who respondents are voting for in the upcoming election, the results are as follows:

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Final Thoughts

This study reveals the profound impact of social media on GenZ’s political views and voting behavior, highlighting the significance of marketing campaigns tailored towards GenZ-specific social media. GenZ’s preference for personality-driven content necessitates campaigns to craft authentic, relatable narratives. Their vulnerability to misinformation illustrates the importance of transparency and fact-based communication.

In the future, we’ll investigate political polarization by platform and media engagement habits as well. Though there are both Democrats and Republicans on TikTok, it’s possible the two groups behave quite differently there. And, as we know, X has taken a turn to the right and there are now a range of specifically right wing alternative platforms for political discourse.

As the lines between entertainment and information blur, navigating and influencing these digital spaces become crucial for shaping future political and social discourse. Understanding these dynamics offers valuable insights for engaging GenZ, emphasizing the need for a blend of authenticity and strategic messaging to create meaningful connections.