Maya Martin, Editor

The ease and accessibility of social media allow users to obtain news and political information at much faster rates than ever before. Therefore, a common trend, especially for college-aged students, is obtaining political information and news through TikTok.

According to sophomore Patrick Malloy, “I get the majority of my news from TikTok and the news stations on there rather than watching the actual news.”

In a time where young voter turnout is on the rise, TikTok can be a particularly useful tool for political parties and figures to spread their views and persuade social media users.

“Part of this surge in young voter turnout is due to robust voter engagement…TikTok, where over 60 percent of users are Gen Z, was crucial to these efforts. October polling from the Pew Research Center showed that people under 30 are the most likely group to get their news from the app,” stated The Nation.

TikTok offers many benefits to sharing news such as speed, ease and the ability to interact via likes and comments. While any user can post political content on the app, trustworthy news sources and political figures are also present on the app.

“A quick scroll through a user’s algorithmically determined ‘For You’ page could feature videos from the White House, a local Sunrise Movement chapter, and March For Our Lives, mixed in with the latest dance craze or fashion trend,” stated The Nation.

Although it has many benefits, TikTok is commonly looked down upon as a platform in which mis and disinformation can be spread very easily. It is important that TikTok users be aware of potential false information that can be spread and how to combat it.

According to TikTok itself, “Our Community Guidelines prohibit inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society—regardless of the poster’s intent. This includes not only physical harm, but also societal harm, like the undermining of trust in elections or public health initiatives.”

Many voting-aged students are aware of potentially inaccurate information and make sure to keep this in mind while viewing news online.

“As a freshman Poli-Sci major, I realized that I have to choose my news information wisely,” said La Salle student LillyGeneva Billarrial. “Since high school, I have been getting my political information from BBC or NowThis News… I get NowThis from the multiple platforms they are on such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.”

So, what many young voters and students are asking themselves is can we trust political information on TikTok? The app uses a variety of resources to help deter false information, including using authenticity moderators and teams.

The authenticity moderators “consult a global database of previously fact-checked claims and then route any new, evolving, or borderline claims to our Global Fact-Checking Program for independent evaluation,” according to TikTok’s website.

Although TikTok uses these programs to prevent and remove false information, the process is not completely reliable. There will always be the ability to post and view false information. Even if false content is removed, it can take days to weeks for the content to be caught by the authenticity moderators and deleted from the app.

“Researchers at NewsGuard—a group that tracks online falsehoods—searched TikTok for content about major news topics. They discovered misinformation in nearly 1 in 5 of the videos that the app suggested,” according to Junior Scholastic. “That is why, experts say, you shouldn’t believe everything you see on TikTok.”