Herbert Kasarachi Ekpe

Even Twitter and Facebook continue to dominate conversations about social media and the 2024 presidential election in America, Tiktok is quietly becoming a political force. Nathan Roth on Linkedln, said: “TikTok is becoming teens” go-to political news source.

Very obvious, in America to see some of the teens: who are too young to vote are forming political coalitions on TikTok to campaign for their chosen candidates, post news updates and fact check opponents. They are sharing real-time commentary for an audience that is far more likely to watch YouTube videos than turn a cable news channel.

Many users are campaigning hard, especially because they may not be of voting age in time for November 3 elections. “I feel like I am making an impact on the election even though I can’t vote,” Izzy, 17, said of her pro-Sanders TikToks.

On the same matter, TikTok has struggled to prevent conspiracy theories from spreading across the app. Media Matters, lately made a report on the platform’s role in spreading false information on the coronavirus.

One of the TikTok spokeswoman wrote in an email: “We encourage our users to have respectful conversations about the subjects that matter to them. However, our Community Guidelines do not permit misinformation that could cause harm to our community or the larger public.”

For many members of political hype houses, tamping down on misinformation is a top concern. When various accounts began citing the claim that Mr. Sanders intended to tax Americans making more than $29,000 a year at a rate higher than 50 percent, Jordan Tirona, 19, responded with a video debunking it.

Though they disagree on major issues, members of different political groups frequently engage with each other. Their videos often go viral when they “duet” on major issues. Duetting is a feature on TikTok that allows users to respond to videos with videos of their own and post them side by side.

The @republicanhypehouse and @liberalhypehouse accounts frequently duet over corporate taxes and health care reform issues. TikTokers across the partisan divide also take part in live-streamed debates on TikTok.

 “I think it’s cool when you have people who are like 14 trying to get involved in politics and educate themselves,” Mr. Higby said. “Those are the people, they’re not voting this year, but they’ll be voting within the next term.”

Photo: Taylor Lorenz