Meet Gabriela, a fictional character created to explore how social media shapes political perspectives. In her forties, she is Latina and resides in Miami. While she’s not particularly interested in politics, she does have concerns about the economy and abortion rights. The question remains: will she vote, and if so, for whom?
In 2022, Gabriela was one of five characters designed to monitor the political content that individuals with varying viewpoints encounter on social media. As election day approaches, both presidential candidates are vying for the attention of undecided voters like Gabriela.
To create her profile, I established accounts across major platforms—X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Initially, her social media activity was non-political: engaging with coupon pages, dance videos, and community groups. However, as I interacted with recommended content, her feeds began to evolve.
Over time, Gabriela’s feeds transformed dramatically. On X, her experience is dominated by political content from Donald Trump’s campaign. Posts featuring memes about Trump’s campaign events have garnered tens of millions of views. For instance:
“Seems accurate” accompanies a meme showcasing Trump’s mugshot alongside maps indicating Republican gains.
In contrast, content supporting Kamala Harris appears less frequently on her feed. Posts about Trump often emphasize his personality rather than delve into policy discussions.
On TikTok, however, Gabriela encounters frequent montages celebrating Kamala Harris at rallies. One notable post states:
“America is ready for Kamala Harris,” which reflects her identity as a Latina voter.
Conversely, posts critical of Trump are also visible but appear less frequently.
Gabriela’s YouTube feed leans toward partisan political messages from both candidates. Ads focus on motivating voters rather than altering opinions. For example:
Despite these targeted ads and posts across platforms like YouTube and TikTok, Gabriela’s Instagram and Facebook remain relatively apolitical due to recent meta-platform changes limiting political content recommendations.
As algorithms prioritize engagement over neutral discourse, it is clear that Gabriela’s originally non-political perspective is being reshaped by the digital landscape she navigates—highlighting how social media influences voter perceptions as election day draws near.
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