On the heels of a high-stakes presidential debate, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers has released new research showing how young adults are continuing to blur racial divides between party lines as they report regular engagement with the news and motivation to vote beyond gender and race.
For digital natives who are chronically online, it appears their media consumption is having an impact on their political views — and possibly the future of the political landscape as a whole — with Kamala Harris’s campaign, which has readily embraced meme culture and internet language, particularly resonating for Gen Z.
Media is Influencing Young People’s Opinions
Kamala Harris’s campaign has readily embraced meme culture and internet language in a way that seems to be resonating for Gen Z. While many have been speculating about this over the past few weeks, we now have the data to show for it:
In our survey, 48.2% of Gen Z respondents said they were not motivated to vote (or were unsure if they would vote) in the upcoming presidential election prior to Kamala Harris’s nomination as the Democratic nominee. Of those previously unmotivated to vote at all, 29.3% say they now feel motivated to vote for Kamala Harris.
The internet appears to be having a strong influence on young people across the aisle, with Millennials and Gen Z respondents who frequently consume media reporting motivation for voting for Kamala Harris at higher rates than those who report not using media at all.
We found that more than half (56.4%) of Gen Z respondents were very informed about social issues, current events, and news related to their communities. And 57% of those respondents who are informed about the news want to vote for Kamala Harris. On the other hand, 16% of Gen Z respondents said they don’t follow the news, with 70% of those who don’t follow the news reporting that they will not vote for Kamala Harris or are unsure of who they will vote for.
Key takeaways:
Almost half of Gen Z respondents in the study (48.2%) said they were not motivated to vote at all in the 2024 presidential election prior to Kamala Harris’ nomination. A third of that group now says they are motivated to vote for Harris.
More than half of Gen Z respondents (57%) who stay informed about the news express interest in voting for Kamala Harris, while almost three quarters (70%) of those who do not follow the news say they will not vote for Harris or are unsure of who they will vote for.
82.7% of Gen Z respondents cited reasons other than Kamala Harris’s racial or gender identity to explain their motivation to vote for her (including “I agree with her stance on most issues,” “She’s an exciting candidate that gives me hope,” and “I like what I’ve seen about her on social media”).
77.7% of Black Gen Z respondents expressed confidence in the political system to serve their and their family’s interests (20.4% more than White Gen Z respondents).