Scrolling Into Belief — How Social Media Influences Student Minds
Video by Mo Colaco and Ellie Smith
Opinion: The president may be a clown but this isn’t a circus
By: Cora Champommier
Red, white and true? General McChrystal, a retired army officer and guest author for The New York Times, identified two types of fear in his opinion piece: primal and insidious. Primal is a physical response to a scary situation, whereas insidious is more hidden and a common fear of uncertainty in everyday life. The modern day is constantly changing, and it seems as though there is never a moment in our nation of pure stability or contentment that a good period will continue. McChrystal recognizes that American citizens have become fearful of their surroundings, and of each other, as “hatred strips away our ability to see others as people. The result is a society driven by suspicion and hostility.”
Humans have attempted to regain control of their lives through the creation of rules. Rules decide right from wrong, and hold a common standard that combats a world turned to chaos. However, when government officials in positions of power, meant to represent America as a whole, abandon character and principle, it silently allows everyone else to act recklessly and disrespectfully to one another, creating an even more divided nation.
When our nation’s leaders abandon the societal rules of respect, even in times of disagreement, it sets a new precedent for what is correct. The presidential debates, a time for eager viewers to hear opposing ideals, have become a meme-harvesting showcase of presidential nominees attacking each other's physical looks and character, rather than their policies. In 1960, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participated in the first televised debate. Sixty years later, The Independent remarked that Nixon’s shaky and distraught physicality tarnished his image, losing “by showing up to the first ever debate too thin, a little sweaty and beady eyed when compared to his dashing young opponent. Mr. Trump won the electoral college in 2016 after three debates in which he flailed at the simplest of questions and threatened his opponent with jail. Clearly, the debates aren’t what they used to be.” The media ripped apart Nixon’s physique, but in recent years, it is the opponents themselves who do that to each other.
I saw a TikTok of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential debates making lighthearted remarks to each other, and it was sad to think that the two parties are now thought of as enemies, unable to come to any compromise or show respect to one another. Although it is disheartening that those in power cannot be civil, it gives no excuse for everyone else to match the tone. According to Pew Research, Americans who share a highly negative view of the opposing party have doubled since 1994. Hopefully, the presidential debates can be better proctored in the future, requiring candidates to stay on the topic at hand rather than go on aggressive tangents; but it’s also important for the viewers to change their outlooks as well. Instead of slicing pieces of media to portray a candidate in a negative light, voters need to have an open mind to deter the stereotypes that these past elections have put into their minds. Just because someone is a Republican doesn’t mean they won’t share similar ideals as a Democrat. It is important that whether or not you agree or disagree with someone, you still show respect.
Illustration by Lucy Jeffers
Musk's ownership of X threatens American politics
By: Matthew Knauer
Once a self-proclaimed liberal, Elon Musk has dramatically reversed course, now leading the Department of Government Efficiency and sitting as a Senior Advisor to Republican President Donald Trump. But Trump’s victory and Musk’s seat in the presidential cabinet may not have been possible without a seismic acquisition.
In October 2022, Elon Musk purchased X — formerly known as Twitter — to “help humanity” and promote “free speech” on the platform. However, a more obvious reason stands out: to serve as a tool for political power.
In the digital age, millions of Americans use social media platforms like X to get their news, due to the easy accessibility. The most prominent demographic is young men under 30, according to the site’s own data. Musk’s purchase of the social media platform serves as an opportunity to influence the most easily impressionable adults.
An analysis by the University of Washington found that X’s algorithms boosted posts from nine specific accounts — all conservative — during times of major political news. The study revealed that traditional news outlets, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, which have a larger following and more tweets, received significantly less engagement than the boosted accounts — which were not professional journalists.
Musk has also used his own substantial following to spread political misinformation. A recent report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that “misleading or false claims about the US election by Elon Musk” have garnered more than 1.2 billion views on X. He shared a dehumanizing AI-generated video impersonating Kamala Harris, made multiple baseless claims about Democrats “importing voters” from other countries and promoted misinformation about Haitians eating pets, just to name a few.
The New York Times recently conducted an investigation into Musk’s algorithms on X, revealing he is not the “free speech absolutist” he claims to be. Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis often used her platform to call out right-wing rhetoric, which Musk took offense to, starting an online feud. The Times analyzed the data behind Loupis’ account, finding a drop-off in viewership after the argument, with the app’s algorithms failing to promote her posts. Loupis owns one of many left-leaning accounts that have been “shadow-banned” — the practice of the app blocking a user’s posts from being viewed on the algorithm — for expressing their political opinions on X.
Musk’s suppression of ideological opponents while amplifying conservatives has certainly impacted the American public. While causation does not imply correlation, the data is striking. In 2022, before Musk acquired X, young men leaned liberal by one percentage point, according to the Washington Post. By 2024, they favored Republicans by 13 percentage points — reflecting a 14-point swing in just two years.
It is a danger to the condition of American politics for a presidential cabinet member to own one of the largest distributors of news, using his platform to intentionally promote right-wing rhetoric while silencing liberal voices.