Analyzing the Role Social Media Played during the 2024 Election

The 2024 Election is over, and Donald Trump is heading back to Washington D.C. as the 47th President of the United States. 

The presidential race between Trump and Kamala Harris was unlike any other we have seen before. Sure, we got a glimpse of the role social media would have in the election back in 2016 with Trump vs. Hillary Clinton, but no one could have predicted the extent to which social media would be used for political campaigning. 

The Battle for Gen Z 

The primary way candidates used to connect with audiences on a more personal level was through talk show appearances. For the 2016 election, Trump appeared on Jimmy Fallon and even hosted an episode of SNL. However, now it's an entirely different ball game.

Late-night talk shows are less popular than they once were, especially with younger audiences. As a result, both Trump and Harris started appearing on popular podcasts and streams to appeal to a younger demographic of voters.

Trump most notably went on the Joe Rogan Experience. Joe Rogan's Podcast is the most popular podcast on Spotify. Many fans were shocked that Rogan, a Democrat, endorsed Trump the night before the election.

Harris made an appearance on Call Her Daddy, hosted by Alex Cooper. Call Her Daddy ranks 5th on Spotify in terms of total listeners. Harris’ team also allegedly tried to get on Kai Cenat's stream earlier this year, but he immediately turned down the offer to avoid any partisan implications. He has over 13.5 million subscribers on Twitch, 11 million on Instagram, and 10 million on YouTube. 

There is nothing wrong with Harris and Trump making these appearances; it's just propaganda and politics. The problem is that some people only vote based on these influencers' opinions. 

The Decline of Network News

The most popular newscast in the United States is World News Tonight with David Muir. The average viewers per show is 8.1 million. More people watch Kai Cenat stream video games than watch the news. 

When younger audiences finally tune in to the news, they don't watch it on the TV; they use social media apps like X and Instagram.

According to a study done by Loyola University, "approximately 71% of Gen Z relies on social media for news daily." 

If 71% of Gen Z relies on social media, how many have fallen victim to fake news and propaganda? 

Anyone can use social media, but knowing how to navigate through all the garbage on social media is another matter. There will always be people on social media who are spreading prejudiced beliefs and hostile agendas, but it's our responsibility to be aware of it, says Newhouse Associate Professor Charisse L'Pree.

"There are people that want to go out there and stoke anger, confusion, and discord, and those people have every right to do so," said Professor L'Pree. "At what point do we decide we don't want that?”

As much as we want to stop trolls from pushing out fake news and false narratives, there's not much that could be done without violating freedom of speech, says Syracuse University political science major Tristian Farr. 

"Freedom of speech is a very important part of our society. So whenever any restrictions are used to filter harmful content, I think it's wrong," says Farr. 

When discussing the positives and negatives of social media in our democracy, we must remember that the problem starts with actual people, not social media, says Professor L'Pree.

"I will never say that social media is hurting the democratic process; people are hurting the democratic process," says Professor L'Pree. "People are online, and that's it; social media doesn't do anything but amplify our best and worst tendencies."

Looking ahead to the 2028 election, the government and social media platforms must devise a solution before AI takes over the political spectrum.