Over the past few weeks, maybe even months we’ve seen a vast uptick in our favorite content creators and influencers lending their platforms to encourage audiences to vote. With every other scroll whether it’s content from a notable figure, a friend, or a passive mutual on social media the presence of Millennials, Zillennials, and Gen Z urging others to register and vote has been hard to overlook. And it’s not a coincidence but rather by design.
Each generation previously mentioned is a part of the collective known to be most vocal. We also have the most access to technology and platforms that allow us to spread messaging that often serves both as a reminder and a source of education for those who wouldn’t otherwise know how to politically engage. No one understands how powerful that is than the generations that grew up alongside the most advanced technology available. From the last presidential election to now, it’s clear that those who sat out learned the lesson of passivity. The act of voting stopped being enough long ago, to be politically involved now requires showing up in ways we couldn’t have imagined previously. Showing up requires posting on social media and having conversations with our communities in real time, but above all it now requires accountability beyond the average working person. Audiences are now holding their favorite content creators and influencers accountable in a way that shuns the notion of, “I don’t do politics” or “Politics have nothing to do with me.”
The days of people giving grace for creators who are only out for their best interest, specifically where Zillennials and Gen Zers are involved are over.
If you don’t do politics, it will do you – we’re subjected to how true that is through how many liberties currently are at stake. When I walked the campus of North Carolina A&T a few weeks ago for the Party At the Polls event, press badge in tow, the students I met were less interested in my job and more concerned about if I had already voted. Truthfully, I was neither registered in North Carolina nor had I voted in Virginia, the state I was registered in. I had already planned to do same-day registration and voting simultaneously, but their encouragement gave me the stern nudge I needed. Now, I’m not only registered, but I voted early and even signed up to potentially work the polls in the next local election.
That said, this all points to the realization that so many of us have adapted an active mindset around politically mobilizing and voting, because we understand how detrimental it is to our everyday lives. It’s been equally eye opening as it is alluring to see influencers and content creators alike, showing up to support that sentiment. When Jayda Cheaves misspoke about not voting since former president Barack Obama was running, she came back to her platform to correct herself. She added context to what she meant and doubled down on encouraging people to vote and not sit out like she did previously. Taking things a step further, she was also spotted supporting Keisha Lance Bottoms gubernatorial candidate for Georgia.
We’ve also seen resident diva Scott Louie and Catfish alum host Kamie Crawford lending their influence to voting outreach. The list goes on, but the point remains that as we’ve all witnessed how quickly our quality of life can take a turn for the worse – gas skyrocketing, food recalls, affordable healthcare – we all understand that beyond the names on the ballot, we’re up against much more. We’re voting, mobilizing, and holding people accountable like our lives depend on it, because it absolutely does.