Gen Z’s Memification of Kamala Harris

Written By April Cisneros

Young people are tired of feeling sad and angry. *Mamala enters the chat*

As our lives become increasingly digital (with young people, on average, consuming upwards of 9 hours of media a day), the impact social media can have on elections becomes increasingly apparent. In the past, many of these platforms were relatively new. But today, most people use social media regularly. In fact, we have a whole generation of digital natives that don’t even remember a time before smartphones. 

The Power of Social Media

Social media’s influence has been more evident than ever during this year’s chaotic presidential election cycle. The first reports of the assassination attempt on former President Trump’s life appeared on X (formerly Twitter), where conspiracy theories around the event quickly swirled. And shortly after Biden announced his exit from the race, the memes about Kamala Harris were everywhere. 

According to polls done by the Pew Research Center over the last few years, the share of U.S. adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has more than quadrupled, with more than 50% of young people (defined as adults under the age of 30) reporting that they don’t trust national media. A recent survey from Deloitte found a similar trend, with 65% of 18- to 24-year olds (Gen Z) and 61% of 25- to 34-year olds (millennials) listing one or more social media platforms as their preferred source of news. 

Politicians have clearly caught on to the fact that this large voter base is primarily looking to social media for information. Today, we are seeing candidates embrace plain language, internet slang, and meme culture in their campaigns like never before. This speaks to not only how our society and communications norms have evolved alongside technology, but also to an exciting shift of centering youth in media, politics, and storytelling.

Why Kamala Harris is Resonating

Between the viral Video of Kamala Harris with overlay of the lime green album art for Charli XCX’s “Brat”, the coconut and palm tree emojis referencing Harris’s anecdote about her mother asking “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”, and the spinning of Chappell Roan’s song title “Femininomenon” into “Kamalanomenon,” the social media frenzy around Kamala Harris’s campaign has been thick. Harris’s campaign has embraced it, making many of the same jokes on the official “Kamala HQ” account. This tactic of incorporating memes and Gen Z culture into the campaign seems to be effectively resonating with young people, many of whom report that it makes them feel seen, recognized and valued in the conversation. 

It makes sense that many young people are embracing Harris’s campaign as a refreshing change. Young people today have had to endure a variety of complex issues during their formative years, with mental health challenges exacerbated by a global pandemic, climate anxiety, and viral videos of police brutality and war (just to name a few). They’re ready for a win, to feel excited, to have fun. Through her viral laugh and dance moves, and a messaging tone that is both positive and hopeful, Harris’s campaign seems to be meeting the moment and giving them that opportunity. 

In our teens & screens study last year, we found that the number one thing young people wanted to watch was hopeful, uplifting content featuring people beating the odds. They also tended to favor women of color in roles of heroes and protagonists. Kamala’s campaign feels like that story. 

For many of today’s youth, she seems to represent the future and feel more relatable — not just because she is younger, but also because she is a woman of color, and Gen Z is more diverse than any other generation before it.

Youth Voter Turnout

The question on many people’s minds is: will this social media dominance translate into votes? 

While historically, youth turnouts tend to be low, there are good reasons to believe that young people will turn up to the polls this year. After all, approximately 55% of voters aged between 18 and 29 participated in the 2020 election, which was the highest average youth voter turnout in decades. And current polls are already showing more than half of young Americans planning to vote in the 2024 election.

Young people care about politics and frequently discuss key issues like climate change, reproductive rights, the job market, housing affordability, etc. online. But they don’t always know how to enact change. Leaders need to continue educating them about the logistics of how to participate in the election — especially those who may be participating in an election for the first time or may have moved away from their home for college and need help registering in new locations or accessing absentee ballots.

While we are not partisan and do not endorse specific candidates here at the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA, we are always committed to studying the impact media has on the lives and well-being of young people. And while we don’t know for sure what effect social media will have on the outcomes of this election, we do know that social media is energizing youth around the election in new ways, and after years of dire reports about a deeply concerning youth mental health crisis, it is exciting to see them so excited. Young people are driving the political conversation online right now — young people are realizing just how much their lives and their voices matter — and they’re just getting started.  



Check out CSS’s Coverage About Gen Z, Social Media, and the 2024 Presidential Campaign in the News:


__________________

April Cisneros serves as director of marketing and communications for the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA. To contact her for press inquiries, email april@scholarsandstorytellers.com.

April Cisneros
Previous

Why Spongebob Squarepants’ Neurodiversity Matters
Next

CSS Celebrates 2 Years of 988