Social Media's Impact on Political Discourse
The 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump highlighted the merge of political discourse with internet culture.
Short clips from the debate flooded TikTok and X, with users creating jokes and memes about the candidates. Biden's appearance sparked jokes about his needing "a cough drop," an energy drink, or Adderall, with one user saying,
“They accidentally injected Biden with ketamine instead of adrenaline.”
- Memes compared Biden's expressions to a dog caught misbehaving or someone seeing ghosts.
- Trump was mocked for vague or provocative comments, such as blaming Nancy Pelosi for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack or claiming migrants were "taking away"! Black and Hispanic jobs.
Author's summary: Social media shapes political discourse with memes and jokes.