Date of Award
Summer 2022
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Historical & Political Studies; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Amy Widestrom
Abstract
Tiktok has a function in society to act as a platform of political identity and expression. This thesis aims to find out if its growth is correlated to youth voting behavior and politics, specifically how does the consumption of mass media and the exposure of social networks like Tiktok influence youth voting behavior and public opinion in modern elections and act as platforms for political expression? Employing the analytic method of process tracing, my research illustrates how young people found a political identity with groupthink structures, were mobilized to vote with initiatives and celebrities and used social media to speak their minds during the 2020 Election. It could be argued that Tik Tok helps contribute to free and fair elections and the spread of democracy within the nation but the opposite can be said as it is influencing people's minds like never before and biased echo chambers can occur.
Recommended Citation
Shaughnessy, Jill, "THE EXTENT TO WHICH TIKTOK HAS BECOME A NEW PLATFORM FOR POLITICAL EXPRESSION: An Analysis of US Public Opinion, Social Media, Celebrity Endorsements and Youth Voting Behavior" (2022). Capstone Showcase. 3.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2022/pgl/3
THE EXTENT TO WHICH TIKTOK HAS BECOME A NEW PLATFORM FOR POLITICAL EXPRESSION: An Analysis of US Public Opinion, Social Media, Celebrity Endorsements and Youth Voting Behavior
Tiktok has a function in society to act as a platform of political identity and expression. This thesis aims to find out if its growth is correlated to youth voting behavior and politics, specifically how does the consumption of mass media and the exposure of social networks like Tiktok influence youth voting behavior and public opinion in modern elections and act as platforms for political expression? Employing the analytic method of process tracing, my research illustrates how young people found a political identity with groupthink structures, were mobilized to vote with initiatives and celebrities and used social media to speak their minds during the 2020 Election. It could be argued that Tik Tok helps contribute to free and fair elections and the spread of democracy within the nation but the opposite can be said as it is influencing people's minds like never before and biased echo chambers can occur.