Scrolling, Simping, and Mobilizing
TikTok’s influence over Generation Z’s Political Behavior
Keywords:
TikTok, Social Media and Political Behavior, Social Media and Gen Z, Media EffectsAbstract
This article examines TikTok's influence on the political attitudes and behaviors of young citizens. Scholars of political communication and political behavior have extensively examined the media effects of the big three social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The impact of TikTok, however, is only starting to be fully understood. This study examines the effect of TikTok on young users across the 2020 presidential election. Ultimately, this research addresses the following questions: Is TikTok influential in shaping the political attitudes of young citizens? Does TikTok usage motivate Generation Z to engage in either on-line or traditional forms of political participation? To answer these questions, we surveyed 609 18-to-25 year-olds on Mechanical Turk. Our quantitative analysis finds that TikTok is more likely to influence political attitudes and engagement in on-line and traditional forms of political participation than other forms of social media.
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