'A different world': How Gen Z voters became 'significantly more conservative'

23 April

Supporters of Donald Trump celebrate after the Fox Network called the election in his favor at the site of his rally, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 6, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

A new survey has found that American teenagers who were stuck at home due to lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic have now become Republicans.

Five years ago, when children aged 13 and 16 were stuck indoors, they used social media more frequently than they had before the pandemic. These individuals, who are now 19 to 21 years old and can vote, gravitated to the Republican Party. The Yale Youth Poll was highlighted by Bloomberg in a report published Wednesday, which noted that these youngsters were deprived of experiences critical for social development and emotional flourishing during the pandemic.

"Turns out, they weren’t too happy about it. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that this group has gravitated to the GOP, the political party that ultimately opposed pandemic lockdowns and belittled precautions like vaccines and masks," the report said.

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The report further noted that unusual exposure to social media allowed these teenagers to encounter conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk and well-known podcasters like the Nelk Boys, whom they might not have come across otherwise.

"These kids are students who have grown up in a different media environment, in a different world — basically — than their peers,” Jack Dozier, deputy director of the Yale Youth Poll, told Bloomberg.

“They’re significantly more conservative and while they still have some tendencies to lean towards progressive social issues, their economic issues and, at the end of the day, their party choice is significantly more conservative," he added.

The poll was conducted between April 1-3 and surveyed 4,100 respondents aged 18-29.

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The pollsters found a significant contrast between voters aged 18 to 21 and those aged 22 to 29: The older group intends to support Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections with a margin of 6.4 percentage points, while the younger group favors Republicans by 11.7 points.

Many commentators have pointed out that the GOP's messaging is resonating with Gen Z. Earlier this month, activist Cameron Kasky said during an appearance on CNN that young white men think Democrats are "leaving" them out and MAGA is able to manipulate them into thinking the party's steps towards equity for women and minorities are "being taken at our expense."

Kasky, 24, is the cofounder of the student-led gun violence prevention advocacy group Never Again MSD. He co-hosts a podcast on Gen Z politics and culture.He said President Donald Trump was able to garner support from Gen Z, but not due to his policies. "It was culture," he said.

The activist said Trump is speaking in a language that resonates with them "and is pompous and aggressive enough that people respond to it."

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