美国国家公共电台 NPR--Gen Z's political power: new data gives insight into America's youngest voters

Gen Z's political power: new data gives insight into America's youngest voters

Transcript¹

For 19-year-old Jenna Ruiz, voting for the first time was a thrill.

"My group of friends and I were really excited," Ruiz said, a sophomore² at Miami Dade College who serves as student government president.

Ruiz and her friends are just a few of the millions of young Americans newly eligible³ to vote in the 2022 midterms.

Still, that excitement didn't smooth over some of the uncertainty⁴ Ruiz experienced when it came time to actually cast her ballot⁵.

"I felt, I'm not going to lie, a little bit lost on some of the things that were on the ballot," Ruiz told NPR. She said she was mostly motivated to vote because she disagreed with the conservative social policies of Florida's current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ended up winning reelection.

"I do identify more towards the Democratic Party, but I still felt like I didn't really know everything that was on the ballot," Ruiz added. "I just was excited to vote."

Ruiz is part of Generation Z, which is still just getting its feet wet in politics, since the oldest members of the generation turn 26 this year. Along with millennials, Gen Zers turned out in historically high numbers for a midterm election, second only to the 2018 election.

And while Gen Zers voted decidedly with Democrats⁶ last year — and say they were most concerned about issues related to abortion⁷ — some still wish they were better informed before voting. That's all according to a new post-election report on Gen Z from the education advocacy organization Murmuration, the Walton Family Foundation and the public opinion firm SocialSphere.

The report, which contains a national survey conducted shortly after the election, was exclusively obtained by NPR. It also found that Gen Z primarily relies on social media for news instead of more traditional media platforms — raising questions for strategists and organizers alike over how to engage the country's youngest adults in politics.

Gen Z wants more information about who they're voting for

Ruiz isn't alone in feeling unsure about some of the additional names on her ballot.

According to SocialShere's survey data, one-third of Gen Z voters wished they had known more about the candidates and their positions in the last election — compared to 21% of Millenials, 11% of members of Generation X and 6% of Baby Boomers.

Similarly, just half of Gen Z voters say they were confident about every race on their ballot — and a third voted in every race but admitted to not knowing much about some candidates.

To John Della Volpe, the founder⁸ of SocialSphere and the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, this gap in understanding is an important insight.

"Often I think we take for granted that younger people who, by definition, have less experience, are every bit as equipped to cast a ballot as their parents, their grandparents," he said, "who have been thinking, debating and participating in this for decades longer."

And while individual voters have a duty to seek out some civic⁹ information, Della Volpe argues, there's also a collective community responsibility within politics and outside of it, like in the workplace, at school, among family and on social media.

But to some young organizers, that exposed lack of confidence doesn't mean less enthusiasm and interest.

"Yes, maybe you didn't know everything you needed to. Every single fact about the candidate that you were voting for. But the fact that you voted, means that you cared about it enough to show up anyways," said Marianna Pecora, a leader with the youth-led political organization Voters of Tomorrow.

Like Della Volpe, Pecora, 19, says there needs to be a more considerable community-wide change to help increase civics and political interest, both online and in person.

Nyla Branam, 20, was raised to value voting as part of an overall approach to engaging with her community. Her family instilled¹⁰ the importance of knowing who is on the ballot when she casts her vote.

Nyla Branam

Though others have less sympathy. To 20-year-old Nyla Branam, Gen Z needs to make more of an effort — especially since they've spent their entire lives with access to advanced technology.

"People in my age group would rather just fill in a bubble and show up, then take time to actually research and find out who they're voting for because it's not beneficial and it's not an assignment," Branam said.

Branam is a student at Delaware State University, a historically Black college. On top of not knowing enough about politics, it frustrates¹¹ her that some people at her school don't vote — especially when so many are passionate¹² about issues like police and criminal justice reform.

"The local elections, the presidential elections, all those things matter because when your friend does get locked up, you know what judge they're going to. And that representative was picked based on morals and values that align¹³ to yours," Branam explained.

A majority of Gen Z gets their news from social media

Gen Z stands alone from older generations in how they consume news, according to the same SocialSphere survey data.

Among Gen Zers who said they wanted more information ahead of voting, 36% say they would turn to the internet to get it, compared to 12% who specifically say social media.

But when asked to select sources they regularly go to for news or current events, social media companies were at the top of the list.

YouTube leads with Gen Zers at 61%, followed by TikTok (57%), Instagram (51%), Snapchat (43%), Twitter (35%) and Facebook (33%.) Traditional media sources, including local television and major network and cable news networks, are much lower on the list — between 25-22%.

Gen Z has a particular hold on TikTok and uses it far more than Millennials do. Among Millennials, just under a third list TikTok as a regular source of news, instead, over half flock to Facebook and YouTube.

For Alex Ames, a leading organizer with the group Georgia Youth Justice Coalition¹⁴, using social media as a primary news source can be limiting.

"A 15-second TikTok or so might give you some glimpse of some of the problems you care about," Ames, 20, said, "but isn't going to be quality controlled or as in-depth as a legitimate¹⁵ civics course in your school or a 12-page-long New York Times article."

Plus, when politicians and candidates try to engage with young people on social media, Ames says they often incorrectly frame their content as entertainment instead of education.

"Even if we are young people, we are still serious about the ballots¹⁶ we cast," Ames said, "So we shouldn't decide that youth engagement to us means our candidate has a TikTok account. Youth engagement should be actually teaching the young people in our communities how our policies impact the things that touch them."

To Ames, a good example of a national politician engaging on social media is Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who posts video updates and explainers to her 8.6 million followers¹⁷ on Instagram outlining her daily work and political decisions.

Similarly, Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., has developed a following over TikTok, which he started during his campaign and now uses as a House member. His account has already raked in over 341,000 followers, a much larger amount compared to Twitter, where he has 94,000.

David Hora, 22, says having conversations about politics in person can be more beneficial for young people. "It doesn't happen enough, in my opinion, that we discuss politics by word of mouth. Instead, we're all trying to buck¹⁸ heads on social media."

David Hora

Democrats aren't the only ones who want to do a better job educating young voters. Some young Republicans say a change is needed within their party too.

"Young people aren't looking towards the policies that are really going to be directly affecting their lives. Instead, they're looking towards the big ticket items of major social and political discussion," said David Hora, a 22-year-old senior at Iowa State University who calls himself a proud Republican.

To Hora, who grew up in a farm family, Republicans need to take the conversation back — arguing topics like abortion, gun control and immigration reform distract young voters from more applicable concerns involving finances and the economy.

But that battle is a tough one for Republicans, given Gen Z voters overwhelmingly supported Democrats over Republicans in the midterms by 27 points — and prioritized protecting abortion access by a higher amount than any other generation, according to SocialSphere's survey data.

That said, a potential lack of party identity leaves hope for Republicans. Notably¹⁹, just 30% of Gen Zers surveyed said they aligned²⁰ with Democrats, compared to 24% for Republicans and 28% for independents.

"The Democrats don't own these votes. They're renting them," said Republican political strategist John Brabender. "There still is an open door, and I think there is both a want from these voters to hear more, but that door is not going to be open forever."

To Brabender, the upcoming presidential election offers momentum²¹ for the GOP to capitalize on young voters. The GOP's first objective should be to tighten²² the margins²³.

Mia Kennedy, 19, says a lot of her peers talk about national political issues like abortion and gun control. But, going past widely discussed topics, she finds it difficult to find more detailed²⁴ information on policy.

Mia Kenedy

Putting the 2022 election in the rearview and looking ahead to 2024, some Gen Z voters do remain undecided.

Mia Kennedy, a sophomore at Miami Dade College, chose not to vote in the midterms because she felt she didn't have enough balanced information to make her decision.

"There's really extreme on one side, and then there's really extreme on the other side, and I just feel like I don't know where to go for information," Kennedy said. "I feel like I need a middle ground."

Kennedy is registered as an independent but says she leans more conservative. By the time the next election comes around, she's hoping to have a better understanding of where she falls.

"I feel like I'm not one of those people to just be like, I'll vote red because I'm red or blue because I'm blue. I want to know what I'm going into," she explained. "But regardless, I think I am going to vote."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 sophomore   

n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的

参考例句：

• He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
• I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。

3 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

10 instilled   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句
• I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

11 frustrates   

v.使不成功( frustrate的第三人称单数 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• What frustrates him is that there's too little money to spend on the project. 使他懊恼的是，可用于这个项目的资金太少。
• His trouble is that he frustrates much easily. 他的毛病是很容易泄气。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

13 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

14 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

15 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

16 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

18 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

19 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

20 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

21 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

22 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

23 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

24 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。