Can a viral video lead a politician to win an election? This question has emerged today, specifically due to the rise of social media embedded in political campaigns. From city officials to presidential candidates, politicians have increased and expanded their activity on social media platforms like X and Instagram, some even launching their own platforms like Truth Social.

Young voters, ranging from age 18 to 29, dominate the demographics in popular social media platforms. According to Pew Research Center, users under 30 are the largest demographic on 8 of the 11 most used social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, X, and more. Across political parties, both Democrats and Republicans now rely on social media during campaigns, hoping to shape their public image and garner these young audiences.

Here at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, faculty and seniors, many who are either eligible or soon to be voters, have noticed this increased political presence on social media, with mixed opinions on the effectiveness of this platform shift.

This emergence of social media usage has reshaped the way voters, specifically young voters, now consume political information. What once relied on long form speeches, televised debates and rallies has shifted to crafted short form clips and sound bites to garner votes.

Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo, a Social Studies teacher here at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, has observed the rise of students’ social media usage for political information.

“They’ll come [into class] and say, ‘I saw this on TikTok-is it true?’” she said.

She has also noticed a transformation in political campaigns.

“I’ve seen in my lifetime a change from how politicians present themselves. Nowadays, quick sound bites [are prioritized] to [gain viewers],” she said.

While slogans and concise messaging have historically been embedded in political campaigns, social media has amplified the reach of such campaign messaging. Short formed content is now optimized for audiences to share, react and go viral. However, this can also lead to complex issues being oversimplified, and campaign teams are often incentivized to prioritize visibility over substance.

The balance between accessibility and simplification is tricky. While the goal is for politics to be understood and accessible to all, significantly reducing political issues can be harmful.

Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo agrees.

“If a politician is simply using the platform to make things easily accessible, and while you want politics to be accessible and you want people to understand what’s happening, it really can’t be at the expense of critical thinking. When politicians over simplify issues, then I think that’s definitely been one of the causes of more and more polarization,” she explains.

With all this said, the question still remains: is this new social media shift effective?

Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo is skeptical. “Whether or not [social media] is the best way to learn about our candidates, I would say no,” she said. Instead, “a lot of people do not devote the time to looking into their candidates [or political interests] and just go with those sound bites,”

At the same time, acknowledging the importance of social media is essential. Social media is now a part of the daily lives of many people in the U.S, specifically young voters. Whether or not social media is the most effective way to gain political information is often disregarded due to how it can drastically influence the public. Social media is not going away, with more and more voters
using these platforms, including students at Flintridge Sacred Heart.

For many Tologs, social media can serve as an introduction to political topics rather than a primary source of information. One anonymous senior shares that political content frequently appears on her TikTok feed, shaping her impressions.

“I see political content on my TikTok ‘ForYouPage’ most often,” the student said. “The ‘Democrats’ and Gavin Newsom’s humorous TikTok are engaging and heavily influence how I perceive them and their opponents,”

Similarly to this Tolog, many young voters find that social media establishes stronger connections to their favored political party and politicians, resulting in increased interest and support.

However, it is important to be aware of the limitations of this political content, with misinformation and political echo chambers being a major risk, especially with political platforms like Truth Social.

“The political platform is going to pull in people who already agree with said politician. Then they are just in a funnel of information and not really opening their minds to other things,” said Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo

“I don’t think the [political content] videos provide real information,” said the anonymous senior, “but they do influence my opinion,”

Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo and students share that it is important to look beyond social media for political information, especially when making voting decisions and learning more about candidates.

“I don’t rely on [these] videos for my information; I rely on news sources. I realize that these videos are made to influence me, but I try not to let them sway my overall opinion of a political party or person.” said the senior.

“Do your own research. You want to look at so many different [sources] of information to really understand a political candidate [and topic].” said Mrs. Gonzalez-Doo.

As political campaigns continue to evolve in the digital age, the challenge still remains of balancing accessibility with accuracy. For this reason, it is essential for users of social media to always fact check what is being posted online, especially when it comes to political content. With significant elections coming up, like the 2026 California governor’s race or the 2026 midterm elections, using fact checkers like Ballotpedia is crucial in making an informed decision.