'Significant' or 'lol'? Why Biden's TikTok debut has young voters curious about his campaign priorities.

President Biden and his 2024 election campaign have officially joined TikTok (@bidenhq), posting their first video on Super Bowl Sunday. Featuring a black-and-white profile picture of President Biden with glowing red eyes — a nod to the image he shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the Super Bowl — the account seemed to take a less-than-formal approach to traditional campaigning, complete with the arguably chill caption “lol hey guys.”

The capitalization- and punctuation-free messaging, apparently speaking to Gen Z’s apparent shunning of certain grammar rules, appears to be a strategy used to engage younger voters on a platform known for its robust Gen Z audience.

With more than 125,000 followers and 10 million-plus views, the Biden campaign’s 10 videos on the platform have invited comments from a variety of users, including young potential voters who fall into the Gen Z category.

The way the president instantly embraced internet culture, including the ironic “Dark Brandon” meme that originated as an insult to Biden, and also referenced recent online conspiracy theories suggesting he rigged the Super Bowl, was a welcome sight for some TikTokers.

“Get ready for some Dark Brandon posts,” replied @dbeckz01. “I’m so here for it!”

“Gotta admit this is pretty fun!” commented Gen Z TikTok user @annabanana_022.

While some users have questioned the tongue-in-cheek tone of President Biden’s campaign, others have acknowledged how important it is that he has a TikTok account at all.

“I think that Biden joining TikTok shows that he recognizes he needs to meet the voters where they’re at,” Antonio Arellano, 33, NextGen America’s vice president of communications, told Yahoo News in an interview. The youth voter organization aims to empower young voters (ages 18-35) in key states to “engage in the political process and ensure our government is responsive.”

Jack Lobel, 19, national press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z-led organization focused on the political power among youth, also acknowledged how significant Biden’s TikTok page is.

“TikTok is the quintessential platform for reaching Gen Z,” Lobel told Yahoo News in an email. “What we see on the app can help shape young people's opinions, which is why the Biden campaign joining the platform is so significant.”

How safe is it for the president to join TikTok?

President Biden’s account also comes at an interesting time, when there are mixed feelings about the overall safety of TikTok.

In February 2023, the White House banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices due to security concerns, which was then followed by the Biden administration mulling over a national ban on the app.

National Safety Council (NSC) strategic communications coordinator John Kirby addressed those concerns in a recent press conference, saying the questions surrounding TikTok and its potential security threats are still present.

“I can’t speak, nor will I speak, for the campaign,” Kirby said during the White House press briefing on Monday. “Nothing’s changed about the national security concerns from the NSC’s perspective about the use of TikTok on government devices.”

Rob Flaherty, President Biden’s deputy campaign manager and the former White House director of digital strategy, discussed the TikTok account’s debut with NBC News.

“The president’s TikTok debut last night — with close to 5 million views and counting — is proof positive of both our commitment and success in finding new, innovative ways to reach voters in an evolving, fragmented and increasingly personalized media environment,” he told the outlet. The account will be run by Flaherty and other members of the campaign staff, according to the outlet.

How have young voters reacted to President Biden on TikTok?

Between questions about the Israel-Hamas war and Biden’s age, the questions stemming from TikTok are in line with the feelings of many Gen Z-ers heading into the election. Many Gen Z Democrats have said they are prepared to give their support to third-party candidates instead of President Biden, as they feel he hasn’t fully addressed their concerns about issues including immigration, cost of living and racial equality.

“Young voters have been critical of the president, particularly around his handling of international conflict,” Arellano said. He added that “reproductive justice remains a key voting motivator, along with the economy, climate change, gun reform, immigration and LGBTQ+ equality.”

These concerns, along with questions about Biden's age and competency heading into the next term now have a central place to live: in the comment section.

“What about rafah ???” wrote @babyspice2001x under the first post on the account about the attack in Rafah amid the Israel-Hamas war.

“What happened in Rafah?” commented @4ixxi0 in the same video.

Biden-Harris HQ hasn’t responded to any comments of that nature.

On Monday, Jon Stewart returned to his host desk at The Daily Show and addressed Biden’s videos on TikTok, specifically his “This or That?” style in the campaign's initial post.

“Fire everyone,” Stewart said. “How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?”

Stewart had the same questions as TikTokers who made jokes about Biden’s age in the post's comments.

“Good job answering those questions. I know it’s hard,” replied Gen Z TikToker @august_toga.

“It was time for a nap after the first question,” replied @chase.chapman14.

Still, even with the vocal pushback among young voters, Arellano believes they won’t sit on the sidelines during this election.

“I think it’s also important to note that while they are disillusioned, they do not plan to disengage,” he said. “The young people I have met with across the country know that the stakes could not be higher.”