Taylor Swift for Harris: Stop putting your own views on younger generations and let them grow their own voice
Is ever a good move for celebrities to get involved in politics or should young people be left to form their own political views?
Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris on Instagram has hit the headlines. On the post, Swift wrote that Harris would be the ‘’warrior’’ to fight for the causes she believes in, and clearly states her plan to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
While it is a positive thing for celebrities to encourage turnout, something doesn’t feel right when hugely influential celebrities like Swift may end up shaping the political views of younger generation too much (even if I do support her views!).
In September last year, Swift posted a message on Instagram encouraging her followers to register to vote. Vote.org subsequently reported a 1,226% increase in participation an hour after the post, highlighting her tremendous influence on ‘Swifties’. Given that she now has a staggering 283 million followers on Instagram, I can’t imagine the impact this post will have on younger generations’ views, including those that can and cannot vote. In fact, in May, Newsweek cited a poll illustrating that a third of voters under 25 would be more likely to vote for a candidate Swift has endorsed. Even Donald Trump was aware of her influence, posting AI generated photos of Swift dressed up as Uncle Sam with the slogan ‘’Taylor Wants You To Vote for Donald Trump’’.
I understand that it is essentially impossible to vote without being influenced by society in some way, whether that’s the media, or the views of your friends, and there’s nothing wrong with having that healthy debate with friends over politics; perhaps their views might alter your own. Even though I was unable to vote this election, I still enjoyed getting involved in political discussions. Yet celebrity endorsement feels more like an instruction and takes away this healthy debate.
This is just yet another example of how celebrity culture seems to have gone too far.
Celebrities not only use their influence to promote items through paid collaborations, but they’re also getting involved in the political world. There’s nothing wrong with Swift posting a picture of her beloved cats for example, but when the biggest celebrity in the world posts their political views, and clearly influences others’ political ideologies it gets a little less harmless.
It is very difficult for younger generations to understand their own political views when they have celebrities and social media influencers telling them what to believe. Instead, they should be encouraged to form their own views, grow their own political voice and refuse to become the mouthpiece of their favourite celebrity. Yet celebrities like Swift prevent this from happening.