As the Presidential race began heating up in the spring, I noticed that U.S. political parties are having a “branding issue”. Although young voter turnout reached an all–time high in 2020, candidates’ campaigning strategies did not seem to account for the wants, needs and media preferences of these audiences.
Even as President Biden stepped down from his campaign on July 21st, it seemed as though voters were stuck between a rock and a hard place. This was, however, until the appointment of Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, as the presidential candidate sparked one of the most mainstream uses of political memes that has been seen from political campaigns as of yet.
This might seem like an obvious development for some, as Harris’ younger age and voter base creates a larger opportunity to use these newer types of media, but this skew in propaganda is not unfounded and is not without its unintended consequences and divisive nature.
Vice President Harris’ appeal to young voters arguably started with the resurfacing of a clip from more than a year prior to her historic rise to the presidential election. The small fragment of video comes from a Swearing-In Ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. Only 10 of the words within her speech would resound throughout the nation, “Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”
Ironically, the rest of the video that encompasses the clip consists of the current vice president speaking about society at large and how young people live in bubbles of information and experience. Nevertheless, the small part of that message that could be encompassed in the five-second clip has resounded throughout the phones and minds of young people around the country.
As the internet makes media more expansive, these small fragments become identifiers for many. Sometimes, these identities can be playful. For example, the Harris campaign announced that Kamala is a ‘brat,’ referencing Charli XCX’s hit summer album “Brat” and its cultural significance to young adults. This came after the album’s singer endorsed her on her X account. Although there is no actual definition for what a “brat” is in other terms, one thing is evident; To be ‘brat’ is to be cool and on trend.
Other times, the use of new technologies and inaccuracies can present a dangerous and false narrative to those who are less media savvy. The Trump campaign has been using AI to make deep fake images of himself, his political opponents, and even of people who do not exist.
One such post on Truth Social showed a gaggle of electronically generated women wearing ‘Swifties for Trump’ shirts and smiling. Others show fictitious events such as Kamala Harris leading the ‘Communist National Convention’ in Chicago or former president Trump riding a lion.
As a major candidate who looks to represent a country of diverse people internationally, this type of AI content shows an ineffective social media strategy that undervalues the intellect and opinions of the American people.
The ever–present use of memes and short-form content in the creation of political materials is irreplaceably changing the way that we see politics and politicians. This means that as voters and citizens, we should begin being more critical of the information that political candidates give us and the propaganda that they use to try and pander to our communities.
Misinformation can be a powerful tool and according to a study from Cornell University in 2023, 32% of people cannot tell AI from reality. That might not be the majority of people, but it presents a sizable risk for people who might not be as digitally literate as their peers. This shows that there needs to be a larger focus on the candidate’s policies, morals and proven statements. Social media can be a powerful tool, but it‘s one that has no comparison to the words and actions of those behind the screen.
This story was written by Clara Lebrón. She can be reached at [email protected].
