Democrats are worried about what effects a ban on TikTok, social media platform, could have in the 2024 election, and whether the ban might turn Generation Z voters away.
Generation Z voters are a particularly important demographic for Democrats as they have been integral in helping them secure better-than-expected results during the 2022 midterm election. However, some in the party have warned that a ban might turn them away, leading to fewer Generation Z voters actually casting their ballot.
Annie Wu Henry, a social media and digital strategy expert, who led Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) digital strategy in his election bid in the 2022 midterm elections, said that if TikTok was banned they would lose access to a “very effective and impactful tool to mobilize and activate young people.” She added that through TikTok voters also encouraged others to participate in the elections.
As Henry added, a large percentage of Generation Z uses TikTok as their primary form of communication and as such it can be a “very effective tool used to inform, to mobilize and to build power.”
On Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was called into a hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. During the hearing, the possibility of legislation that would ban the platform was central to the discussions. A potential TikTok ban has received support from members of both political parties.
