In an era characterised by nonstop scrolling and short-form content, conventional news outlets have lost prominence to social media behemoths such as Instagram and TikTok, particularly amongst Generation Z. As mentioned by Chen and Ha (2023) Generation Z were the first generation born into the mass-adoption of the internet, established a unique relationship with information and current events. Rather than accessing television programs or newspapers, they depend on social networking feeds, posts made by influencers, and trending content to keep updated about global events, social concerns, and politics. According to Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Newman, 2023), as of 2023 approximately 79% of Generation Z watch informative videos on politics through social media compared to the 23% that consume their content through news websites, and as he stated in his article these numbers were expected to increase drastically, of which they have.

This transition encourages important concerns about the consumption of knowledge, the criteria for authentic information and the influence of digital platforms on collective awareness. The special features of Instagram’s Explorer Tab and TikTok’s For You Page, which are both pushed by advanced algorithms, prove that news is no longer pursued by us, but rather pursues us. This has caused a large amount of involvement from the youth in causes such as environmental protection and racial equality, but it also enables the propagation of false information. Throughout this paper, it will be argued that Instagram and TikTok have changed how Generation Z accesses and consumes political content via the platforms’ algorithmic selection and viral trends.

Prensky (2001) describes Generation Z as “digital natives” as they were raised in an environment characterised by the abundance of mobile phones, social media, and continuous connectedness. Generation Z‘s dependence on social platforms for information on politics and news updates has significantly transformed how conventional information channels operate. Instead of actively searching for news articles, individuals are relying on algorithmic recommendations, social interactions, and viral movements to encounter current affairs. This shift has established an unfamiliar connection between political awareness and online conduct, linked to the impact of platforms like Instagram and TikTok (Chen & Ha, 2023). These platforms’ algorithms do more than just distribute personalised material; they also alter what users determine as socially meaningful and important information.

According to Kulke (2023), social media algorithms take advantage of our organic tendency to observe others’ behaviours, increasing political information being shared throughout close networked communities. Gao, Liu, and Gao (2023) refer to this as the “echo chamber effect”, in which frequent exposure to identical ideas narrows perspective and reinforces pre-existing opinions. Yet, this same dynamic allows unheard or marginalised perspectives to develop popularity via viral trends. TikTok has evolved into a platform where political activism and entertainment coexist. Karimi and Fox (2023) use relevant, short-form content to study how TikTok’s interface supports political behaviour, such as rallying for protests and sharing important issue-based content and because of its ability to blur the lines between personal expression, comedy and action, Generation Z had a low barrier to entry into political discourse. Instagram’s Explorer Tab algorithm, on the contrary, has similar functions, where the algorithm pushes content based on the consumer’s involvement, and again, making political information more accessible to more active users and even passive scrollers (Chen & Ha, 2023).

These platforms often promote active youth involvement and according to Literat and Kligler-Vilenchik (2019), Generation Z spreads political information and opinions using current trending memes, visual storytelling, and remix culture, to get and keep the attention of the audience, relay often heavy information in a light-hearted manner, and communicate with other members of the generation and younger in a culturally relevant manner. However, this shift from conventional news sources makes it difficult to know if the information is accurate, and with Newman’s (2023) studies showing that 79% of Generation Z obtain their political information from these platforms, the need for distinction between reliable sources and performative engagement on social media is a must.

TikTok and Instagram are driven by their users’ engagement, and every view, like, and comment is analysed to enhance the user’s algorithm and ensure it is tailored to what they enjoy watching or deem important to view. This system creates a ‘feedback loop’ where trends in user engagement impacts the material that is shown in the future and its priority (Zulli & Zulli, 2020), and the algorithm will continually push certain topics and methods of presenting information, ensuring the viewer is more likely to engage with the content rather than merely just watching. This design on TikTok allows for political messages to be turned into a game. A video will receive more views if it abides by the site’s guidelines, such as engaging with viral trends and audio. This, however, can lead to creators downplaying serious issues or using engaging language to catch the attention of the algorithm and gain traction (Cotter, 2019). In the article written by Zulli and Zulli (2020), they described this as ‘performative activism’, meaning that political content is pushed depending on its appeal rather than its relevance and message.

Although it was initially a photo-sharing platform, Instagram has since developed to also incorporate the successful short-form video concept that TikTok has via their Reels and Explorer sections, and now uses almost identical algorithmic programmes that TikTok does. Both platforms are known to contribute greatly to the fluctuating and reactive characteristics of political involvement, in which concerns are magnified and then forgotten in rapid periods, and if they were to implement more moderation techniques into their algorithms, they would be able to decipher true informative material apart from misinformative content. TikTok and Instagram not only provide the majority of the world’s current affairs to Generation Z, but they also have transformed the whole nature of political engagement.

Instagram and TikTok both provide a space for Generation Z and other generations to engage in discussions about politics, and an endless platform for them to find informative content to curate their own opinions and are encouraged to create and share content that reflects their opinion. Literat and Kligler-Vilenchik (2019) believe that these platforms support “creative political expression” through memetic attributes. This enables users to utilise trends and cultural references to articulate complex political concepts in an accessible and entertaining manner, which, in contrast to the conventional method of political messaging it can be seen as insensitive or disconnected to some, but to Generation Z, this communication approach is seen as authentic and relatable. Additionally, Instagram and TikTok functionalities like comment sections and stitches establish dynamic loops that enable others to expand upon each other’s ideas, fostering the development of collective discussions.

Within Karimi and Fox’s (2023) article, they argue that this interactivity enables a form of political education termed “peer-led political education”, where credibility is derived from social interactions such as engaging with discussions, verifying facts and recontextualising content in real time as opposed to institutional frameworks and consuming passive information from a singular superior source. Moreover, Chen and Ha (2023) argue that short-form content, diagrams, and visual narratives enhance a consumer’s comprehension and engagement around global issues. This format is particularly beneficial for individuals that may find conventional political content, of which can often be text-dense and targeted to older generations, challenging to comprehend; and inclusivity should be most important aspect when it comes to current affairs and ensuring that the majority of society can access and understand what it is happening around the world.

Instagram and TikTok have undoubtedly made it simpler for Generation Z to participate in politics, but it is critical to consider the risks and issues that are associated with these platforms. One of the major concerns is that having a large following and fan base does not imply that what that source posts is accurate, as engagement measures, not accuracy or honesty, determine how much exposure content will get, and deceptive yet engaging content will outperform those that are informative and verifiable (Zulli &Zulli, 2020). Furthermore, algorithms that appear to make information more accessible may alter what people consume. Gao, Liu, and Gao (2023) discovered that short-form content platforms often promoted ideological conformity through their algorithmic filtering, resulting in echo chambers that prevent consumers from viewing opposing opinions. This drastically reduces Generation Z’s political awareness and may deepen divisions within communities, particularly when content is presented with drastic emotions or is made to provoke disputes. Kulke (2023) also argued this by stating that algorithms capitalise on people’s ability to learn by reinforcing familiar beliefs through peer participation, all in the attempt to conceal competing views from audiences.

A rather concerning factor is that, according to Noble (2018), activist content, particularly that submitted by members of disadvantaged groups, is more likely to be lower in rankings, flagged, or even banned without being seen, even if it follows all community guidelines. This is just another way in which these platforms can control and decide what messages can be shared and suppress opinions they deem as controversial. Also, while Generation Z may be tremendously engaged online with political content, this does not always translate to actual civic activities and can tend to confuse “liking”, “sharing”, and “reposting” as actual participation in real-life affairs. Chen and Ha (2023) caution that, although they are very much aware of what is happening around the world, Generation Z are only learning what they’re being shown rather than conducting intentional investigations to learn more. So, although these platforms are allowing for a quick and easily accessible way to consume news articles, it raises the question as to how much power users have over the political content they’re being shown and sharing.

As discussed throughout this thesis, Instagram and TikTok have drastically altered how Generation Z consume current affairs through how it’s received, comprehended, and shared. They are no longer just a platform for entertainment but now a prominent platform used to cover political content, due to viral culture, peer engagement and algorithmic selection. The ability of content creators on these platforms to communicate through short-form content, memes and trends has allowed for these topics to be consumed easily and enjoyed, especially for those who find it difficult to engage with conventional ways of sharing political content. However, this evolution involves major trade-offs. These same algorithms that are made to push engaging content to others tend to prioritise emotion above accuracy, which is strengthening echo chambers and limiting exposure for opposing perspectives. Furthermore, boosting performative activism, where the popularity of a source is often prioritised before a reliable source, which calls into question the legitimacy of online political involvement, and having activists of marginalised communities being algorithmically silenced, it is evident that the algorithms of these platforms are not neutral environments. Whilst TikTok and Instagram perform highly amongst Generation Z for sharing and engaging globally with political issues, their impact on political education needs a serious evaluation. Awareness, inclusion, and digital literacy are required to guarantee that these platforms are used to empower and properly educate consumers, and allow them to develop an opinion, rather than being deceived, so that Generation Z and future generations can be informed spectators and engaged participants in communities.

Reference List

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