Gen Z: The next generation of democracy

As a 21-year-old woman, I have never known a political landscape that wasn’t constantly changing. My Generation — Gen Z — has come of age amid political division, rapid technological change, and constant access to information. Change and social media may be our normal, but it's also unsettling and challenging.

The most alarming change I’ve witnessed is seeing how social media has come to dictate who people vote for and what they believe. My parents relied on election information from the nightly news, flyers in the mail or the newspaper. Today, political candidates are increasingly hiring social media teams to engage younger voters and be relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Facts and fake news are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate, and presidents are using social media platforms to announce war plans.

Generation Z — those of us ages 14 to 29 — are living through these changes as if they’re normal. And for us this has become our normal. But it does not mean we are passive to it. This article brings attention to how my generation is feeling as the midterm elections draw nearer. A widespread narrative suggests that “Gen Z doesn't care about politics.” But that is not true, we are adapting, just like everyone else, to a changing democratic structure.

The rise of social media, the normalization of AI-generated content, and the lack of representation of our generation on the ballot are three issues Gen Z cares about and I want to address in this article.

The rise of social media, online searches, and misinformation

Ninety-seven percent of young people report using social media and 37% view political content on social media on a weekly or daily basis. According to Pew Research Center, the proportion of Americans going online for election-related news and information has more than doubled since the end of the 2000 race. The number of people consuming political news online has grown from 18% of all adults in 2000 to 44% of all adults today. 

This new normal has brought many benefits but also countless risks. Information is available at our fingertips 24/7/365 which can be very beneficial. People who have never voted before can now register and get information on the candidates in just a few clicks. We have never had this much information available to us so easily.

This same easy access to information can increase exposure to fake or misinformation. On social media, an account that spreads conspiracies can draw as much attention as a credentialed journalist. Seventy-one percent of all images on social media are AI generated as of 2025 and this statistic is only forecasted to continue growing. The presence of AI on social media is a real concern as we head to the polls. This growth of AI and misinformation makes digital media literacy — the ability to critically, effectively, and responsibly access, analyze, evaluate, create, and engage with online media — more important than ever for Gen Z, because we are not used to getting our information anywhere else like other generations.

How AI is threatening election integrity

In 2024, 78% of American adults expected AI to be used in ways that affect election outcomes. Experts note that generative AI gives bad actors accessible tools to spread misinformation at an unprecedented scale. In response to this growing concern about the role of deep fakes; manipulated or incorrect information; voice modification and more, many states have begun regulating the use of AI in certain election-related communications.

In the meantime, it’s crucial to develop the skills to recognize AI generated content and understand the implications behind it. AI misinformation in the political landscape jeopardizes the integrity of our democracy — AI generated content could lead one to believe false information about a candidate which could influence how they vote. It is important for Gen Z and the general public to seek sources and facts they can trust. To develop AI literacy, this article by Forbes offers many different ways to learn more about AI.

Subscribing to your local newspaper, a reputable national news source, or trusted election information sites is one of the best ways to guard against AI-generated misinformation that will likely crop up across social media platforms. Many reputable journalistic organizations have begun engaging more on social media, so if you do like getting your information from TikTok or Instagram, make sure you are following organizations that are posting real, verified and fact-checked information.

Are Gen Z being represented on the ballot?

Another issue my generation is concerned with is a lack of representation of our age group in elections. It can feel like we are always voting for people who are our parents' or grandparents' age, and rarely seeing anyone on the ballot who reflects the views and perspectives closer to the world we live in.

In the world changing faster than it ever has before, how can we have confidence that an older candidate can keep up with this? Do they really understand what’s important to the younger generation? Will we continue to feel the weight of, “Gen Z will change the world and make it better,” without efforts to understand our values and worldviews?

More importantly, will we be left with the impossible task of fixing the problems the older generations couldn’t? When we don’t see people like us on the ballot, it can be hard to feel hope for our future in the face of some of the issues we see today such as blatant threats to democracy, voting rights under attack, immigrants fearing for their safety and a deteriorating climate.

Younger elected officials tend to bring a different kind of energy. For one, they understand how social media works because they grew up on it. For older generations, we see how they often do not understand, criticize or do not engage with social media, which disconnects them from younger generations. Representation by age matters as much as representation by race, gender and socioeconomic status.

Who is truly speaking out for the younger generations? Data reflects how much work is left to do to get younger generations elected, but also how far we have come. After the 2024 election, 74 millennials and one Gen Z member were elected to Congress, bringing Gen Z and Millennial representation to nearly 14% of Congress; this statistic is up from about 10% after the 2022 midterms. At the state level, 40% of all bipartisan state bills in 2023 were spearheaded by Gen Zers and Millennials, even though they make up only about 25% of state legislators. Those numbers are encouraging.

Electing candidates who will help us adapt and grow is essential as our political landscape is rapidly changing. Tools like VOTE411 and League of Women Voters candidate forums can help you research candidates in your area, compare their positions side by side and make an informed choice.

The narrative that Gen Z is uninterested in elections is misleading. We do care. But we may appear disengaged as we work to navigate a fraught political landscape which is so different from the ones we have learned about all our lives and heard about from our parents. We are grappling with the realities of becoming adults and inheriting a world which seems to be full of unsolvable problems.

And even though this landscape is challenging, we still must navigate it if we want to see any real change and have our voices heard.

We must stay informed. We must act. We must vote.

To everyone: make sure you get out and vote this year and do your duty as a citizen. It's a right to vote, and it can be taken away. Make sure you are researching candidates and making a plan to vote this year. Below are some resources you can check out to ensure you are prepared come November.

To older generations: engage with the Gen Z individuals in your lives. They want to connect with you and be part of meaningful conversations. We want to learn and talk about important issues; we don’t want to be underestimated because of our age. Listen to us, and try to understand how we are viewing our world today. And talk to us, help us understand how things were when you were young.

We are the next generation of voters, leaders, and decision-makers in this country. We want to be heard, we want to understand and we want meaningful input in shaping our future.

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Here is a list of some trusted sources you can reference going into elections:

VOTE411

The League of Women Voters Minneapolis - election information, candidate forums, quick links

Minnesota Secretary Of State - register to vote here and find candidate information

Vote.org - national voting information

The League of Women Voters Minneapolis greatly thanks Ceci Heinen for agreeing to share her ideas on how Gen Z is navigating the political landscape by taking the lead in writing this article for the league.

This article is part of the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2026 Democracy Series.  All articles will be available at https://lwvmpls.org/democracy-series/.