NORFOLK, Va. — The power of social media can mean a lot of things -- good and bad.
What’s clear is that digital engagement is defining a generation, and we’re seeing a coming-of-age moment, amplified by recent political and social events, from the palm of our hands.
Take this past weekend, for example.
Users on the popular video-sharing app TikTok took credit for inflating attendance numbers at President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Thousands registered for the event but didn’t show up, which is believed to be a possible reason for the number of empty seats in the arena.
The president’s team has fired back, saying violent protests are the real reason numbers were lower than expected.
At the very least, the coordinated effort alone shows the younger generation is finding its political voice.
According to Comscore, approximately 40 percent of TikTok users are between 16-24.
Younger social media users have also played a key role in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Where protests have reached thousands, they’ve reached millions by sharing minute-by-minute updates from the ground using easily accessible hashtags.
It’s all evidence that the next generation is more than just dancing teens and bathroom selfies- there’s room for political discourse too.