The recent survey data released by the Pew Research Center and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation indicates that the attention given to TikTok as a powerful force in US politics may be overstated. Despite the platform’s surge to 170 million US users, politics does not feature prominently in the experience of most TikTok users. While politicians have flocked to the platform in hopes of reaching young voters, the survey found that many users are more interested in entertainment, culture, and connecting with friends rather than political content.
The association of TikTok with China through its parent company has raised concerns about potential political influence, but TikTok denies providing US user data to the Chinese government. Despite the warnings, Pew’s survey results suggest that politics is a minor aspect of the platform for most users. With just 12% reporting posting any political content, it appears that TikTok is primarily used for entertainment, product reviews, and keeping up with sports and pop culture.
The survey revealed that while some TikTok users do encounter political content on the platform, it ranks last among their reasons for using TikTok. Only a third of users utilize the app for keeping up with politics, with the majority citing entertainment as their primary interest. Additionally, many users expressed a lack of interest in political content, with some believing it doesn’t belong on TikTok. This presents a challenge for political campaigns seeking to engage with young voters on the platform.
Previous research has shown a split in political leanings among TikTok users, with Trump’s recent presence potentially influencing this demographic. Despite the perceived ideological tilt of content on TikTok, most users, including Republicans, believe the platform has no impact on or is beneficial for democracy. This contrasts with the shifting attitudes towards X, where Republican users have increasingly viewed the platform as good for democracy following Elon Musk’s acquisition.
The research highlights the partisan divide in opinions on social media platforms and their impact on democracy. While views of X have become more favorable among Republican users, Democratic users have expressed negative sentiments towards the platform. The reasons for this shift in attitudes are not specified in the research, but it coincides with Musk’s ownership of X and his controversial decisions regarding content moderation and platform policies.
Despite the efforts of political campaigns to leverage social media platforms like TikTok to reach voters, users’ primary interests lie in entertainment rather than politics. While platforms like TikTok may not have a significant impact on the political landscape, the survey results suggest that engagement with political content varies among users and highlights the importance of understanding user preferences and behaviors on each platform.
