By all the usual talking points, young voters are supposed to lean left. College campuses, social media, and pop culture all push a progressive agenda.
But something unexpected is happening with the youngest slice of Gen Z, and it’s giving conservatives a reason to be hopeful.
A new poll from Yale University looked at more than 4,000 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 29. It found that the younger part of Gen Z (those between 18 and 21) actually favored Republicans by 11.7 points in the most recent midterm cycle. In contrast, the older group, ages 22 to 29, still leaned Democrat by 6.4 points.
That’s a sharp split inside the same generation.
So, what’s going on?
It turns out, a big part of the story is TikTok. While many conservatives see TikTok as a danger because of its ties to China, it’s also become the top way young people get their news.
In just four years, the number of under-30s using TikTok regularly for news jumped from 9% to 39%. That shift lines up with a 6-point swing toward Donald Trump among TikTok’s daily news users.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Even though TikTok is run by a company that many assume leans left, researchers found its algorithm actually favors right-leaning content.
Academic audits showed the platform recommended about 11.8% more Republican-leaning videos than Democrat ones.
Why? Because the app rewards videos that are emotional, dramatic, and attention-grabbing – and Republican influencers are simply better at playing that game.
A big part of that is tied to content aimed at young men.
Many of TikTok’s top fitness and lifestyle creators promote messages tied to masculinity, strength, and independence. They often highlight traditional male roles and push back on liberal or feminist ideas, sometimes directly, sometimes through humor or cultural jabs.
That kind of content pulls young men into what’s been called the “manosphere,” where they hear conservative takes on gender, work, and identity.
It’s not just the guys, either. Female users are also seeing videos that question modern feminism and promote traditional family values. While not always political on the surface, these messages often reinforce conservative views on culture and relationships.
All of this means young users are being shaped by a steady stream of short, powerful messages that lean to the right.
Even if they don’t identify as conservative just yet, they’re being exposed to ideas that line up with conservative values: personal responsibility, strong families, faith, free speech, and common sense over woke nonsense.
Of course, when it comes to social media, it can’t be all good.
Critics say TikTok’s style of content isn’t good for political conversation. A study from the UT Health Science Center found that watching political videos on TikTok made young people feel more upset, anxious, or frustrated, but it didn’t necessarily change their actual beliefs.
The concern is that people are becoming more emotional and reactive, not more informed.
That may be true, but there’s also a flip side.
For years, the left used emotion-based messaging to drive turnout; climate change, racial justice, abortion. Now, conservatives are catching on. They’re reaching young people not by lecturing, but by connecting through real-world content that speaks to identity, purpose, and values.
Even with calls from lawmakers to ban TikTok, MAGA-aligned influencers aren’t shying away from the app. In fact, they’re using it as a tool to reach a group the media long assumed belonged to the left.
The youngest part of Gen Z might be more conservative than anyone expected. If this trend holds, it could reshape politics for decades to come.
The left should be worried. The right should keep posting.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
