X and TikTok users are making extreme assumptions about who could win the presidential election, based on extreme political views and rumors on fringe polls and purported campaign insider quotes.
Experts say that people are more likely to believe extreme posts. Social media algorithms also perpetuate extreme content that creates extreme reactions.
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are attempting to lessen the influence of political speech, but X and TikTok are rapidly growing political influence ahead of the 2024 election.
Political content on X is often pro-Trump, and its algorithms favor followers of Republican leaders, while half of 18-to-29-year-olds use TikTok to watch political content.
Overconfident rhetoric on these apps about who may win the election could have dangerous implications .
Posts that overstate the certainty of a blowout in one candidate's favor could lay the groundwork for broad support for challenging election results if the other side wins.
An Election Integrity Community has been launched on X to report voter fraud and irregularities, an action that supporters of Trump have already been exploiting.
Even Trump himself is encouraging people to vote early on the same app, a shift from last year, when he demonized mail-in voting.
For those seeking an escape from the high-anxiety environment surrounding the election season, it may be best to limit social media consumption until it all blows over.