Her Campus is on tour! In partnership with Future Caucus and DoSomething, the Her Campus Voices: Election 2024 Tour is coming to college campuses around the country to host conversations with students to get their insights and opinions as we approach the November election. Next up is the University of Colorado Boulder. Here’s what the Buffalos had to say about whether they share their political opinions online.
Elections have always been important, but in the age of the internet, it’s become almost impossible to avoid hearing about politics in the leadup to Nov. 5, 2024. Undoubtedly, you’ve seen hundreds of political posts, endorsements, and advertisements in the past few months, and all of that can make an election season more emotionally draining and stressful than it already is. But it also might feel weird to not participate in the conversations, considering it seems like everyone else and their sorority sister is. So, should you share your political opinions — namely, who you voted for — online, or should you keep it to yourself?
As part of the Her Campus Voices: Election 2024 Tour, a group of college students at the University of Colorado Boulder share how they feel about being constantly exposed to politics online, and how they choose to weigh in… or not.
Sharing Your Political Thoughts On Social Media Can Lead To Conflict — & Many Young Voters Are Opting Out.
Understatement of the year: The internet has made politics feel more divisive than ever before. “I feel like what social media’s big issue is, is that everything has to be black and white,” Mariana B. says. “You’re either totally on the left or totally on the right … there’s no space for conversation.”
For this reason, many young voters are keeping their voting choices to themselves — or, at least, they’re not posting about them online. “I don’t personally put my political views on social media,” Adamari R. says. “I try to keep social media fun — and I’m not saying that politics isn’t fun, but I don’t really talk about those things on social media and I don’t feel like I have to. It’s something that I share with people that I’m close with, my friends and my family. But on social media, I don’t see the reason. I just like posting silly TikToks.”
Similarly, Jeslyn H. says she used to share her political opinions widely, but has since pulled back. “I used to put it all out there, especially when I was younger and my brain wasn’t as developed,” she says. “I sort of realized it was causing more trouble than it was causing support, and I’d just be getting in fights with people on the internet.” Now, Jeslyn is much more focused on doing her own thing, politically speaking. “I’m good at doing my own research,” she says. “I’m good at deciding what I believe in, what are my values, and how I can use my vote to demonstrate my values. I don’t need to push that out there for other people’s opinions to talk about my own values. Everyone’s going to have different values, everyone’s going to have different beliefs.”
Many Believe Posting About Politics Online Is Futile.
As the most social media-savvy generation that’s currently eligible to vote, one thing Gen Zers are all too aware of is the existence of political misinformation online. And it’s not even just the harmful “alternative facts” that people create to intentionally misinform voters; it’s also just the fact that anyone can say pretty much anything on the internet.
“The amount of times that I hear people talk about something political and I’ll ask where they heard it and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I got it from a TikTok — I’m like, I don’t know how to respond to that because that isn’t a source, that’s just hearing it from a friend of a friend, basically,” Natalie A. says.
Plus, it can be extremely easy to fall into an echo chamber when posting political opinions online, especially when you mostly follow people who have the same opinions as you. “There’s no sense of productivity there besides just creating an echo chamber, likely with other people who agree with me,” Isabella G. says.
Even for those who *do* want to share their political opinions, many acknowledge that social media might not be the most effective way to do so. “I think most of what you would be trying to achieve by that can be done in real life instead of the internet,” Angie C. says.
For Some, The Internet Can Still Be A Great Place For Sharing Information & Inspiring Others.
Despite these issues that exist when it comes to posting about who you’re voting for online, there are also significant positives. Celebrities and social media influencers have made a huge impact on voter turnout in the 2024 election. “Even though maybe they aren’t necessarily the most knowledgeable to speak on a certain topic, do bring certain excitement and awareness to people who otherwise wouldn’t be involved in it,” Angie says. For example, after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris in September, hundreds of thousands of people visited the link she shared in her IG Story, which led to a voter registration website.
That said, much like how Gen Zers tend to care more about specific policies than the politicians on the ballot, many would rather post about issues that speak to them, rather than sharing how they voted. “I don’t necessarily not post anything when it comes to politics on social media,” Angie says. “I do post to some extent because I think if there are certain issues that if you believe strongly in something, you should try to advocate for [them]. “If you feel strongly about something, you want to make sure that that information is out there for other people.”
There’s a reason social justice movements tend to pick up a ton of buzz on social media. “I’ll post a Black Lives Matter [post] because I believe [in] that,” Riley says. “Am I going to post if I’m voting for XYZ? No, I’m not going to post all that. That’s all my business. But the Me Too movement, I’ll post. I support that.”
At the end of the day, it’s up to each individual person to decide what they are comfortable sharing on social media. There is no right or wrong answer, but it’s important to consider the potential risks and benefits of posting political opinions online. Despite not personally opting to share her beliefs online, for example, Jeslyn is all for others doing so. “If you are strong in your beliefs and you want to put them out there, I say, you go for it, girl — you use your voice!”
Bestie, do you *actually* know how to vote? We’ve got everything you need to make sure you’re fully prepared for Nov. 5. Visit HowToActuallyVote.com for a step-by-step guide to making your voting plan.