Expressions of Partisanship Among Young Political Supporters on TikTok in the United States

Distrust of young individuals in traditional political institutions, coupled with many youths’ heavy use of online platforms, raises questions about the nature of their online actions in light of mainstream political practices. Our study addresses this research gap by providing insights into the voices of these young individuals and their communities on TikTok, as they engage in partisan online political discourse. Using topic modeling, thematic content analysis, and sentiment analysis, we analyzed 124,963 audience comments and 100 video posts by young supporters of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States. We found that the topics discussed in the young supporters’ video posts varied significantly between the two parties, as did the audience’s reactions to these posts. Young supporters often employ the platform to reinforce in-group solidarity and target ideological opponents, and their political messaging closely aligns with their respective parties’ ideologies. They leverage the platform’s socio-technical features to engage with their audiences in “politainment” by means of humor, sarcasm, and cultural references.