Amid the array of news and debates surrounding the upcoming election, WHS students are using various strategies to stay informed on the candidates and issues that will shape their futures. With many seniors now eligible to vote, it is increasingly relevant for students to be informed about the political landscape of this controversial election.
Originally used as sources of entertainment, many popular social media outlets are now the latest battle-ground for Generation Z’s vote.
The most commonly used social media platforms by WHS students for election coverage are TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). According to pewresearch.org, about 40 percent of young adults now regularly get news on TikTok.
Even though they often receive political content on social media, many students agree that what is avail-
able to them is generally unserious.
Senior Elizabeth Miles said, “Very little of what I see is policy related or people describing what they want to do. It’s mostly candidates trying to build a brand for themselves.”
Due to social media algorithms, it is easy for students to get sucked into one side of the political debate, creating what we know as an echo chamber. Senior Elena Morey said, “I definitely see more of what I believe in rather than the other side.”
However, this is not always the case because social media can also be packed with advertisements from both political parties. “In general, I get the same amount of [content] about each side,” said senior Daniel Flores.
These experiences described by WHS students highlight how social media can reinforce personal beliefs or provide a more balanced perspective, depending on the way students interact with the platforms.
Many students shared that when they hear information on social media, they take it “with a grain of salt” rather than fact checking every video or post that they see.
Senior Evan Bauer said, “I don’t fact check [the information]; I just don’t listen to it.”
When students do fact check the information they get from social media and other news sources, their strategies vary.
“I would probably check the opposite news channel,” said senior Kevin Butler. “If one thing is on CNN, I would probably check Fox News because they usually show the other side and they would fact check each other.”
Senior Milo Aitken has a different strategy, sticking to a few sources that he feels are trustworthy. He said, “I would probably go to a reliable news station like CBS or WNYC.”
In order to be best informed, students should acknowledge the biases of their sources. For example, while several of the students interviewed said that they would reference The New York Times as a source, the newspaper is actually left leaning according to allsides.com. These partisan media leanings are prevalent on both sides of the political debate.
Overall, some WHS students are ready to engage with the political sphere and are aware of the prevalence of misinformation on social media feeds as they look for honesty and substance in their candidate.