The left stands to gain advantage among college-aged voters as they use social media to spread influence

College students are spending a significant amount of time engaging with social media, considering it a primary source of information, particularly political information. 

This raises concerns regarding the influence of the content they encounter and how it may shape their voting decisions, especially now that, for the first time, their voting power could rival that of Baby Boomers and older generations. 

The left stands to gain a notable advantage among college-aged voters as they use social media to spread their influence. 

Harry Sisson, a New York University sophomore and leftist activist who boasts an impressive social media following, over 155k followers on Twitter and nearly 700k on TikTok, is one such figure spreading leftist influence. 

Sisson utilizes his social media platforms to steer his peers towards the left through the use of clickbait-style posts that mock conservatives and challenge conservative ideas. 

[RELATED: Putting parents in charge of social media could help Gen Z mental health, experts argue]

For instance, one of his recent posts questions the mental acuity of former President Trump.

It’s funny how Republicans talk about Biden’s mental state but not Trump’s. 

Donald Trump is a lunatic. He believes in insane conspiracy theories, such as the election was stolen, and is clearly not doing well. 

He goes on unhinged rants that have no substance. He posts… pic.twitter.com/l7ay14QHuD

— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) June 20, 2023

However, Sisson does not address President Biden’s gaffes, of which there are plenty. 

Here are just two: 

You know... the thing... pic.twitter.com/sYM7JRdfU6

— Joe Biden Gaffes (@joebidengaffes) March 6, 2020

He also recently retweeted a video posted by Chris Mowrey, another influencer, advocating for stricter gun control. 

It’s THE GUNS 👇 pic.twitter.com/CqLXJOw5Rr

— Chris Mowrey (@chrisdmowrey) June 18, 2023

Mowrey’s video suggests that implementing more restrictive gun policies would reduce gun violence, but, while Mowrey’s video may be attention-grabbing, it fails to consider other relevant facts such as how gun violence occurs in areas with strict gun policies. 

[RELATED: WATCH: Campus crime is surging, ‘eleven students were taken hostage at gunpoint’]

Washington, D.C., just across the river from Campus Reform headquarters, is a close example. 

”Despite a number of safety initiatives, prevention programs, and restrictive gun laws, D.C. is struggling to get a handle on gun violence,,” as reported by Axios D.C. in February.

Last year, there were “2,203” violent crimes in D.C. involving a gun. D.C. police seized 3,152 guns. Many of those guns were acquired in other states or made illegally, and many more included illegal configurations that allowed fully automatic firing. 

What law would have prevented someone from illegally making a gun? 

None. 

What law would have prevented someone from modifying a gun to shoot fully automatic? 

None. 

But Mowrey does not consider those questions.

As evident in interviews conducted by Campus Reform, it is clear that typical, every-day college students are not asking those questions either, but instead espouse the same opinion of influencers such as Mowrey and Sisson. 

Take the following interview conducted at George Washington University, for instance. 

Senior Editor @J_Gould_ asked students their thoughts on @GWtweets’ decision to arm campus pd ... this is what she said: pic.twitter.com/Nae60oJQwE

— Campus Reform (@campusreform) June 5, 2023

Moreover, Sisson’s prominence is no accident. 

He is backed by Palette Media, which is now known to have been paid by the Democratic Party for media and advertising work done on its behalf. 

Listen to the following details from TikTok user Dan, screenname dgribb_tx. 

Dan is correct. 

According to Open Secrets, Palette Media was compensated by the Democratic Party more than $200,000 in 2022. 

It is no surprise, then, that Sisson makes videos such as this: 

The issue at hand is not about the left engaging in paid media or advertising work per se, however. Rather, the concern lies in the stark contrast between Sisson’s substantial following of over 690,000 on TikTok and Dan’s modest following of 1,071. 

And this is not the only example. 

Compare social media followings of politicians and the same is true: the left has a greater influence. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez boast more than 13 million followers on Twitter. 

The Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, has more than 10 million fewer followers than AOC. 

This glaring discrepancy indicates that social media users are predominantly exposed to a leftists’ viewpoints - while simultaneously potentially unaware of the intentions and motivations behind the sources they rely on for information.

It also reveals that the left has a significant advantage in shaping the political viewpoints and mobilizing support of college students, as it is their age group that uses social media the most.   

Encouraging skepticism of leftists activism is only one step conservatives can take to shape the hearts of minds of college-aged voters. Without skepticism, students can fall prey to activism that relies on flawed logic and brain-dead arguments such as Sisson’s mental acuity statements that ignores Biden’s visible and numerous blunders and Mowrey’s call for banning guns, which ignores data on gun violence in cities that already have strict gun policies. 

The next step is for conservatives to implement social media growth strategies and begin reaching out to young voters.  

Follow Campus Reform on Twitter for our latest updates and follow Jared Gould for more stories like this.