US midterms: Could social media swing it?

'Being able to steer the next generation in a positive way - I think that's going to play an enormous role,' says TikTok influencer Sam Shlafstein

There was probably a time when posting videos about the politics of farming on social media definitely wasn't considered cool.

But TikTok may have changed that, and it could be changing the results of elections too.

Videos about this month's US midterms have been viewed hundreds of millions of times.

There are concerns about the spread of misinformation on the platform, but young influencers insist it can be a force for good.

"It's a social media election and TikTok is playing a huge part," Sam Shlafstein from Gen-Z for Change tells BBC Newsbeat.

The group - which has more than 1.5 million followers - is made up of dozens of popular TikTokers, almost like an Avengers for political content creators.

US midterms 2022: A simple guide

"It's trying to get people engaged who maybe aren't as interested in politics," says Sam.

"And then slowly, over time, they can become more engaged and knowledgeable."

The 19-year-old college student in California posts tongue-in-cheek videos about issues such as climate change and the role of the agricultural industry.

This comedic approach has earned him a serious following and he's built up more than 137,000 subscribers.

Sam directs these fans from his channel to other campaigning information.

Gen-Z for Change began as TikTok for Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election, and the group has since worked with the White House.

But Sam insists they can also be "critical of [President Biden's] Democrats and their inaction".

On the other side, Republican Party politicians and supporters have recently been making an impact on the platform, too.

'People say I'm doing this for views'

"TikTok has been an incredible outlet for me to express my views," 21-year-old anti-abortion campaigner Savannah Craven tells Newsbeat from New York.

"In about a year, I have gained over 170,000 followers by going live on TikTok and discussing abortion."

A recent Harvard poll suggested access to abortions was among young voters' top concerns ahead of the midterms.

It also indicated that most of those surveyed viewed the recent Supreme Court decision to end the automatic right to an abortion as a negative move.

President Biden has said he will bring back Roe v Wade - the overturned law that protected women's rights to an abortion - if the Democrats keep control of Congress in the midterms.

Savannah Craven, a member of anti-abortionist Students for Life of America says TikTok has helped her to get the group's message out

Savannah, who's part of the Students for Life of America organisation, believes the best way to campaign and persuade voters is still "face-to-face, to show that I'm a real person, this is not an act that I'm putting on".

"A lot of people say I'm just doing this for views, and it's like, 'no, I'm doing this for pre-born babies'."

DJs, dogs, dancing...and Democrats?

The influence of TikTok has led to concerns about midterms misinformation on the platform, which the company says it's working to limit.

It's something that the Washington Post - one of America's most famous newspapers - says it's also trying to combat.

"These midterms are going to be really crucial in democracy," says Carmella Boykin, a member of the Post's growing TikTok team.

"It's where so many young audiences are right now - it's a really great way to reach them.

"We do our best to be an authority figure on the platform."

'We do our best to be an authority figure on the platform,' says Carmella, who's making midterms TikToks for the 144-year-old Washington Post newspaper

But even Carmella admits that she loves going to TikTok for videos of "DJs, dogs and dancing", so will it encourage young people to vote in these elections, and how could that change the results?

It's thought a record 40% of students voted in the previous 2018 midterms, and polling suggests a high youth turnout tends to benefit Democrats.

"TikTok is something we're all on pretty often," says Alex Drakeford, a 20-year-old Democrat supporter in Washington DC.

Alex says she understands why young people can be "discouraged and disengaged" with politics.

"I am myself at times," she says.

But she hopes the Democrats will get a TikTok boost, because it's a "younger audience".

Alex Drakeford is a Democrat supporter and hopes TikTok will benefit the party

But not all students are quite so keen.

Patrick Burland, a recent graduate and Republican supporter from Virginia, definitely isn't a fan.

"The entire world that young people live in now pushes them to divulge a lot of personal information", he says, adding concerns about the content they're consuming on the app and its alleged links to China.

TikTok has previously denied accusations that it is controlled by the Chinese government.

Republican Patrick Burland is not a fan of TikTok - and worries that users give away too much personal information

Yet Patrick, 22, remains hopeful Republicans will attract students.

"The Democratic Party has done a great job over the past few years of trying to appeal to young voters," he admits.

"But we've seen a dramatic shift with Republican Party organisations really engaging young voters."

"On election day, we'll see that young voters will have trended towards a new future for them."

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As for the role of social media, "I think we'll see some changes to how the US government and TikTok interact in the future, and how campaigns use TikTok," Patrick predicts.

But Sam from Gen-Z for Change sees a very different future.

"Being able to steer the next generation in a positive way, and making sure the next generation is media literate and consuming accurate media sources - I think that's going to play an enormous role in following elections, and this election itself."

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