When Memes Govern: A Study of TikTok Video Memes in the 2024 US Presidential Election

• In Event: 40420 - Section on Political Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3: Electoral Politics 2

Abstract

Despite the prevalence of video-based memes in digital political communication, there has been limited empirical research on their dual role of humor and information dissemination. This study investigates the role of political meme videos on TikTok during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, employing a mixed-methods approach combining expert evaluations and survey data. Experts assessed 121 meme videos for humor and knowledge quality, while the survey was used to investigate the impact of humor level, knowledge quality, and candidate focus on audience attitudes and political participation, as well as the moderating role of cynicism. A total of 240 valid responses were collected online. Results revealed no significant linear relationship between humor and knowledge quality, challenging assumptions of a trade-off between entertainment and informational rigor. Structural equation modeling highlighted humor’s strong positive impact on political participation but a negative direct effect on attitude change, whereas knowledge quality directly fostered attitude shifts. Donald Trump-focused memes enhanced political participation, while Kamala Harris-focused memes amplified attitude change. Moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that cynicism tempered humor’s influence on participation, though highly humorous content paradoxically engaged cynical viewers. Political polarization analysis with ANOVA underscored the reinforcing effects of in-party memes and the unique ability of Donald Trump-focused or high knowledge quality content to sway independent audiences. This study highlights the complex dynamics of video-based political memes, contributing to a deeper understanding of digital media’s role in political processes.

Author

• Jintao Zhang, Fudan University