The New American Culture War May Be Happening on TikTok, Not Television
Your teenager probably isn’t watching the evening news. Neither, increasingly, are their older siblings. They’re scrolling, and what they see there may shape how they vote.
How TikTok Became a News Source
In 2020, only 9% of Americans aged 18 to 29 regularly got news from TikTok. Now the figure is nearly 43%, per Pew data. A separate Pew survey found that about 48% of TikTok users in that age group use the app to keep up with politics.
What’s Changed Recently
TikTok signed a deal this year to sell part of its U.S. business, giving investors more control over the algorithm. Politicians have noticed the platform’s reach. One Republican youth strategist argued that TikTok helped win the 2024 election and urged the party to invest in young conservative creators. That is one side’s claim, and it’s disputed.
Why It Matters
The worry isn’t just what people see. It’s what they don’t. One analysis warns that a user who lingers on a few videos from one political side may soon see little else. The same piece describes politics on the app as curated, stylized and performed rather than debated.
Money plays a part too. Media critic Max Read notes that creators may have a financial stake in anti-woke, culture-war content, since it can shield them from moderation and demonetization. He also argues that feeds often reinforce what some young men already believe rather than convert them.
News Now Lives in Your Feed
Television still matters. But the fight over American values is increasingly playing out in 60-second clips. If you’re getting your news there, check a second source.
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