Summary
Gen Z’s reputation as a reliably progressive generation has been challenged by recent U.S. election results, showing a noticeable shift toward conservative voting, particularly among young men.
Many young people struggle with financial security, psychological safety, and optimism about the future. Trump tapped into their anxieties of a frightening world that’s worsening.
Issues like inflation, financial stability, and safety now rank higher than traditional progressive causes for many young people.
Additionally, conservative influences from figures like Joe Rogan and family ties to Gen X parents may have nudged Gen Z rightward, reflecting their complex and evolving priorities.
Only a small portion of GenZ was incentivized to show up this election. Interpreting the fact that only right wing GenZ showed up shouldn’t be treated as a condemnation of a generation. White women didn’t show up for Harris either. Would we make the same condemnation?
It all comes down to the fact that Democrats offered little and less in the four years where they could have accomplished something, and when called out for that, those critical were told to shut the fuck up.
What the Democrats offered was right wing politics: their base won’t vote for it. Which isn’t to say that groups like GenZ or women won’t show up if you actually offer them something they want to vote for.
This loss can be dropped squarely on the shoulders of the deeply toxic “Blue No Matter Who/ Blue MAGA/ You can’t be critical of Democrats because you only have two choices” philosophy. It was seriously at work here on Lemmy, and moderation and prominent posters here (and across the internet) did real damage filtering down forums like c/Politics, r/Poltiics, etc to select for a narrow and now very proven wrong approach to electoralism.