Should Politicians be on the Platforms?

“White House Senior Living: Where Residents Feel Like Presidents,” is not a place where Gen-Z expects TikTok’s and Tweets to come from. But in fact, the term “White House Senior Living” was coined in an Instagram post that former President Donald Trump reposted.

Clearly, he was referring to President Joe Biden’s old age, even though Trump is 77 years old. Does it give you the ick that presidents old enough to be in senior living are using the same social media as you and me? Or, does it make you feel heard and seen? Should our politicians be on social media at all, or does it make the United States look bad?

There is a large informational, educational, and generational gap between Gen Z and most politicians. Aside from the hip AOCs and Ramaswamys, there are few politicians by whom Gen-Z feels understood.

While the “White House Senior Living” post may be perceived as offensive, I thought it was hilarious. When I saw Trump’s post on my Instagram feed, you can bet I “liked” that post. And I did not just “like” it in the sense that I emotionally appreciated it, and it tickled my funny bone. I physically “liked’ the post by double-tapping my screen. A simple “like” might not seem like the biggest deal, but it is.

Remember how our parents used to tell us, “You vote with your dollar.” They were trying to tell us that the way we spend our money gives us a voice and based on where we give our money, we are essentially “casting a vote” to that establishment, whether it be a movie theatre, grocery store, or Urban Outfitters. I cast quite a few votes at the cash register at Urban Outfitters growing up. In fact, I still do, and it makes me glad to know that I am voting for a sustainable and quality fashion brand.

“Liking” posts follows the same principle. By “liking” Trump’s post, I am showing that I not only appreciate his content, but I also want to publicly display my support for his message on a platform with roughly 1.4 billion users worldwide.

The ability to publicly “like” posts is only one of the infinite purposes that social media serves in a political campaign today. “Liking” posts is Gen-Z’s most used way to express their voice and create movements. After the death of George Floyd, millions of people broke out in protest across the nation.

Yet, when you search the hashtag, #georgefloyd, on TikTok, the top trending posts all have at least 3 million “likes.” The first video to pop up has 3.4 million “likes.” “Liking” videos has allowed the American people to create movements online involving millions that can invoke real change. Plus, this is appealing to Gen-Z because it is an environmentally-friendly, and far less dangerous way to build a movement.

Since 302 million Americans use social media, our politicians should as well. That is a quick and efficient way for politicians to push their message out to millions. Before the dawn of push notifications, Americans mostly got the latest from the 5:00 pm news. However, today, you are asked to adjust your system preferences every time you visit a new site to enable push notifications, and this has changed the way Americans receive their news entirely.

Now that I can be notified the second Trump "Tweets," I certainly do not want to wait for a television network to over-analyze the 140 characters that he wrote at 3:01 pm that day while disgruntled by Elizabeth Warren’s latest claim to be more Native American than she is. I want to hear his raw reaction right when it happens. That is exactly why politicians must take advantage of social media as a way to connect with the public, namely Gen-Z.

Additionally, engaging with the public on social media provides a platform for politicians to get their message out and have their voices heard without censorship. Well, usually, unless the platforms abuse their power to silence voices. However, typically politicians can use social media as a medium for speaking directly to the public.

As a member of Gen-Z myself, I appreciate when politicians engage with our generation on social media because it shows that they know how to communicate with us. And even though I wish I had come up with the “White House Senior Living” meme on my own, I am so glad Trump reposted it so I could share it with my friends.