This CU professor looked into how political news on TikTok shapes young voters’ views. Here’s what he found

TikTok has become a go-to source for news, especially for younger audiences.  

But short-form videos on the social network don’t look or sound much like traditional journalism. Users see a stream of bite-size videos that favor strong opinions and controversy over nuance and depth. 

So, how does consuming political content on TikTok actually affect young people? 

Michaelangelo Landgrave is a political scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, and co-author of a new study that looked into that question. He and his fellow researchers found that TikTok may not change young voters' political views – but it does tend to make them feel more angry, sad or anxious about the world.  

They recently published their findings in the journal Political Studies Review.  

Michaelangelo spoke with Erin O’Toole about the study, which he said was partly inspired by seeing his students use TikTok and other social media far more than traditional news outlets. 

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
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In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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KUNC's In The NOCO is a daily look at the stories, news, people and issues important to you. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show explores the big stories of the day, bringing context and insight to issues that matter. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we explore the lighter side of news, highlighting what makes this state such an incredible place to live.