Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Abstract

• Many Generation Z voters (born between 1997-2012) will come of age just in time for the 2020 election, and they are a population unlike any previous generation. The chiefly-digital manner in which they communicate and the varying issues they care about will be crucial for political candidates to understand, especially if they are seeking re-election in contested races in which the youth vote may be critical. As communication becomes increasingly digital with social media sites, these outlets are becoming major channels for political information. These sites, particularly Twitter and Instagram, are also dominated by younger Americans, making them prime avenues for politicians to connect with potential first-time voters (that is, if candidates succeed in mastering the social norms of each platform and young voters succeed in overcoming historically low voter turnout rates). The 2020 election marks the peak convergence of this new demographic of voters and the new landscape of online communication that they inhabit. This study aims to analyze the interaction among Generation Z voters, political candidates seeking elected office, and social media. In order to understand this complex relationship, I will utilize Colorado Senator Cory Gardner’s 2020 re-election bid in a battleground state as a case study, examining his campaigns’ use of social media, juxtaposing his online presence with other politicians, and analyzing his overall communication efficacy with young voters. Drawing upon social media analysis of Gardner and, his likely opponent, John Hickenlooper, as well as other prominent politicians on social media, as well as interviews with Generation Z voters and social media experts, this study will analyze how this generation views politics through the lens of social media and what that entails for politicians and the future of politics as a whole in the United States.

Creator

• Nichols, Lindsey Nicole

Date Awarded

• 2020-04-06

Academic Affiliation

• Journalism

Advisor

• Skewes, Elizabeth

Committee Member

• Larson, Christine M
• Bickers, Ken

Granting Institution

• University of Colorado Boulder

Subject

• Gen Z, Social Media and Politics

Last Modified

• 2020-04-19

Related URL

•  https://lini5389.wixsite.com/thesis

Resource Type

• Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Rights Statement

• In Copyright

Language

• English [eng]

Relationships

In Collection:

• College of Media, Communication & Information Honors Theses

Items

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Visibility	Actions
	Changes.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Gardner.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Hickenlooper.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Issues.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Social.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Trump.mp4	2020-04-13	Public	Download
	Thesis_-_Lindsey_Nichols.pdf	2020-04-13	Public	Download