49: Friday Left of Lansing Short: GOP Wants TikTok Ban To Hurt Gen Z

This week's "Short" deals with the Republican effort to ban TikTok in the United States. Ostensibly, they argue it's to protect our privacy since TikTok is a Chinese company. 



But the main reason Republicans are fighting for a ban is to take-away a major communication tool from Generation Z voters, who are by far the most progressive voting bloc in the country. 



Generation Z played a key role in helping get Democrats victories across the country in the last few election cycles. And that's particularly true here in Michigan, as Gen Z voters showed up in greater numbers than in any other state in 2022. 



Rather than win over some Gen Z voters with policy ideas of their own, Republicans believe shutting down those voters' favorite mode of communication will help their party in the future.



I also talked about this topic on this week's episode of the podcast with Progress Michigan's Jade Gray, and I'll post that episode below as well. 



--Pat



NOTES:



"On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far." By Kim Parker and Ruth Igielnik of Pew Research Center



"Montana becomes the first state to ban TikTok." By Ayana Archie of NPR



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