The 2024 presidential election was full of surprising shifts in voter demographics. Across the board, President-elect Donald Trump saw an increase in voters from different demographics, but most notably among young men.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris with 312 electoral votes. He flipped numerous swing states and won the popular vote. His success was a result of drastic shifts in key demographics across the U.S.
In this election, people ages 18 to 29 shifted red from the previous election. In 2020, only 35% of the younger generation voted for Trump. Comparatively, in 2024, 46% of the younger generation voted for Trump.
Only 42% of the younger generation voted, significantly less than the 2020 election. According to exit polls in 10 key states from NBC News, 49% of younger Republican voters were male and 37% were female.
In line with voters' age, younger Black men shifted further red in this election. According to AP News, Trump nearly doubled his support from Black men since 2020 with 3 in 10 Black men under the age of 45 voting for him. Latino men also shifted red.
This drastic shift among young Black and Latino men was most likely due to economic concerns, according to AP News. Yet, an overwhelming number of Black women, 91%, voted for Harris, according to exit polls by NBC News.
Many people wonder why demographics shift during different elections. A potential explanation lies in what surrounds everyday life: social media.
Social media apps, such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, are centers for sharing thoughts and opinions about the election. Millions of posts about the 2024 presidential election were shared over the past year, showcasing social media’s importance as a space for communication.
Social media’s true power comes in its ability to spread true or false information. The constant attention on the election inevitably led to misinformation facilitated by social media. Emotions were at an all-time high in this election, likely resulting in increasing engagement and attention.
One notable social media shift occurred on X. The once left-leaning application, according to research from Princeton University, has since turned a sharp right following Elon Musk’s takeover.
Since January 2023, the application has seen an increase in support from male users, firmly cementing the 2-to-1 gender split where men take the majority. The increase in male use and the sudden ideological shift of the app have yet to be connected; however, it may have contributed to the young male generation voter shift to red in this election season.
Social media stars also have sway in how young men are voting. Figureheads such as Joe Rogan and Adin Ross have risen in fame since the 2020 election. According to Politico, “they’ve become the wide mouth of an algorithmic funnel that leads young men toward unvarnished political content from figures like Carlson, Kirk and ultimately Trump.”
Studies on online political radicalization have just begun, but the 2024 election may be evidence that online influencers are leading young men into a more red future.
Though studies cannot be conducted this soon after the election to determine how social media impacted voters, it is clear that these applications impact results. Many citizens look to social media for news and information, especially for younger generations. The applications voters choose to frequent and the people they follow are bound to have an impact on their vote.
