Euronews Business looks at voting trends amongst Gen Z voters, including what influences their political beliefs and why so many of them may be feeling like their civic engagement does not make a difference anymore.
Parties in this year’s US presidential election race have invested more than ever in reaching younger audiences, especially Gen Zers, in an attempt to gain more votes. However, this may be trickier now, given this generation’s increasingly complex relationship with politics and civic engagement.
This is because, while some Gen Zers may vote less than older people, others are highly engaged in political activism. Yet others are quickly losing faith in the political system, making it more difficult for parties to win them over.
The rising popularity of social media has also further complicated this outreach, forcing political parties to adapt their strategies and messaging accordingly.
According to the Society Watch 2024 report, by the National Centre for Social Research, Gen Z is likely to make up 25% of the electorate by 2030, making it even more crucial for parties to appeal to this demographic by then.
Disenchanted at any early age
A new study by EduBirdie, across 2,000 young people in the US, looks at how Gen Z votes, why so many of them may not want to anymore and what impacts their political beliefs.
According to the report, 44% of Gen Zers said that social media influenced their social and political views the most. A large percentage of Gen Zers also take financial and career advice from a variety of social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Avery Morgan, the chief communications officer at EduBirdie, said in an email to Euronews: “I’d say the younger generation feels lost in a world that seems to be spiralling out of control. This sense of uncertainty underpins Gen Z’s complex relationship with civic engagement.
“Our research shows Gen Z are struggling to see how their vote makes a difference in today’s society. They aren’t uninformed or disengaged; they’re adaptable and open to changing their views.
“With social media such an influencer for Gen Z, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in US politicians moving online to capture their attention. Donald Trump joined TikTok in June, with Harris following less than two months later. In addition, for the first time, the Democratic National Convention invited two hundred content creators this year.”
What influences Gen Z’s political views?
Apart from social media some other major influences on political views seem to be personal experiences, news and media and family and friends.
Some 60% of the survey respondents for the EduBirdie study said that their political views were influenced by news and media, whereas of 57%, it was by personal experiences. Friends and family shaped political beliefs for 50% of respondents, whereas for 42% of people, education had the most impact on political views.
Some 26% of respondents said that living abroad or travelling had influenced their political beliefs while, for 14% of people, it was celebrities.
Gen Z has also been very vocal in challenging and addressing the status-quo, with one in seven respondents saying that they don’t agree with their parents’ political views.
Some 47% of respondents also admitted that they had significantly changed their political beliefs, with 11% saying that they did so all the time, whereas 36% said that they had changed some opinions.
According to the Society Watch 2024 report, Gen Z voters are also much likelier to share their strong beliefs through acts of civil disobedience than other demographics.
59% of Gen Z also feel that the government should be responsible for the entirety of the adult social care bill, whereas 42% are more pro-welfare than other demographics, according to the above report. This is as compared to 34% of millennials.
80% of Gen Zers also believed that cannabis should be legalised.
Is otherwise vocal Gen Z staying mum on politics?
However, although Gen Z is very vocal about a number of other issues such as climate change, inclusivity, equality and work-life balance, they may be much shyer about speaking very openly about their own political beliefs.
According to the EduBirdie survey, 1 in 4 respondents did not share their political opinions with anyone, while 51% only shared them with family and friends. 1 in 3 Gen Zers also admitted that they had lied about their political views.
Out of these, 14% said that it was to avoid conflict, whereas 5% said that they did it to get a job. Six percent lied about this to fit in with their friends, whereas 3% did it to impress their crush.
Keeping quiet
Ten percent of respondents also said that they avoided speaking about politics with their parents to keep the peace, whereas 3% admitted that the topic has already caused distance and tension.
Ten percent of Gen Zers also felt that their civic engagement, which includes protesting, voting, volunteering and campaigning does not make a difference. Another 24% of respondents were also having doubts about the same, whereas 66% still felt that their civic engagement efforts were changing things.
This is mainly because several Gen Z voters are slowly losing their faith in the future and in the ability of political parties to create a better one, in the face of overwhelming economic and geopolitical issues like high inflation, higher interest rates, layoffs and wars.
This has made it harder for Gen Zers to achieve the same quality of life and milestones as previous generations, such as buying a house, saving for retirement and holding down the same job for several years.
However, others are still holding on to hope, and making their voices heard, with 22% of EduBirdie survey respondents saying that they share their political beliefs on social media. Some 12% also revealed that they are involved in community work and activism, with the same percentage also saying that they participated in every political discussion.
