Editor's Note: This commentary was written by Braylon Youker, and the accompanying artwork was collaboratively created the accompanying Oliveira Ekumbaki, Jaden Davis, and Daniel Kibezi as part of the Spring 2025 Kalamazoo Voices of Youth Program. The program is a collaboration between Southwest Michigan Second Wave and KYD Network in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, funded by the Stryker Johnston Foundation. The Voices of Youth Program is led by Earlene McMichael. VOY mentors were Maya James (writing) and Taylor Scamehorn (art). 

Over the past decade, the Democratic Party has shown signs of an ideological divide. With the rise of content creation culture, the hole is only dug deeper. As party members push differing policy agendas, social media is magnifying the polarity, and not always factually. While these divides may not be new, politicized social media posts have brought them to light. 

“There seems to be some kind of inherent tendency, in the way social media works, to promote more extreme views,” says Paul Clements, a former U.S. House of Representatives candidate and Western Michigan University Political Science Professor. 

Social media was once considered a powerful tool for civic engagement and the organization of political movements. However, the influx of political content pushed on social media platforms has played a large role in magnifying internal divides and spreading misinformation. 

“There is some value in (social media), but what we’ve seen is that social media has been vulnerable to … really serious manipulation,” Clements points out. 

The influx of political content pushed on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok has become an echo chamber for political discussion where ideas spread rapidly through progressive influencers and politicians who can directly engage with voters.

“I do it, too — I think it’s helpful,” says Clements, noting he uses Facebook to create political discussions over current events. However, Clements has noticed that the overall effect of social media is to “exacerbate the extremes,” which have been pushed to the top. 

Content creation culture

In a Pew Research Center study surveying 20,944 adults about the impact of social media on politics and society, 84% of participants believed social media made it easier to manipulate the audience with false information and rumors. 

Videos on TikTok and Instagram typically range from 15 seconds to a minute. In this short amount of time, loads of political information can be thrown at a viewer. With rapid-fire style videos, political information can often be thrown at the viewer out of context, yet the way social media has impacted attention span makes viewers less likely to check for accuracy.

Liberal social media influencers play a major role in shaping the opinions of progressive viewers. Many influencers use their platform to criticize centrist Democrats, portraying them as obstacles to progress. 

Beyond social media’s role in causing some disagreement among progressives, Clements argues that the rise of individualistic politics has contributed to levels of polarization by diverting attention from broader issues.

“In recent years, I think that the focus on identity politics and things like — I support gay rights and these issues — but I think they’ve been given — and I support racial equality — but I think Black Lives Matter and (#MeToo) and gay rights — which, I support all of these things — I think they’ve been given more prominence in the Democratic, sort of, agenda than I would like to see.” 

A prominent example of an ideological split among progressives is on the topic of climate change. With Democrats like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), championing the Green New Deal to combat climate change, the Non-Green New Deal Democrats consider some of her stances extreme. Key elements of the Green Deal are combating climate change, creating jobs, and addressing economic inequality.

“I think most of the public discussion of it doesn’t recognize really what an enormous threat to (the younger) generation climate change really consists in …,” Clements says. “I believe 99% of the discourse isn’t extreme enough.”

Meanwhile, progressives such as U.S. Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia; Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona; Doug Jones of Alabama; and Angus King of Maine, believe the Green New Deal is impractical and unsuitable. All are Democrats, except King, who is an independent. For Manchin, the capitalistic disadvantage of adopting the Green New Deal pushed it off the table. 

West Virginia accounts for 15% of America’s total coal production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration data. By adopting the Green New Deal, the use of nonrenewable energy sources like coal would be reduced. Multiple non-Green New Deal progressives, like Manchin, argue this would harm capitalist society through reduced profits and job cuts. 

However, progressives in support of the Green New Deal argue that the prioritization of renewable energy would create new jobs through the stimulated growth of renewable energy industries. 

On progressive social media, the differences and issues within Democratic ideologies are commonly highlighted, rarely promoting compromise or proposing solutions. However, progressive influencers like Dean Withers seem to unify progressive audiences over a common enemy: MAGA Republicans. 

How else can progressives organize?

At times, online spaces can make progressives feel discouraged or overwhelmed, especially when negativity and slow progress tend to dominate. However, it is important to remember that change is not linear. Meaningful progress is built through cooperation and standing up together, even when opinions differ. 

To combat the rhetoric and actions of the right wing, community-oriented, core value campaigning would outweigh campaigns about contrast. 

“We want our kids to be safe and treated with dignity, have a chance at prosperity, and have a chance to have safe communities …. That’s kind of what we should be focused on,” says Mark Schauer, a former U.S. representative and state senator, and 2014 gubernatorial candidate. “And, I think, you know, the Democratic Party did allow itself to become painted as or viewed as this elitist party that kind of forgot about, you know, just these core values.” 

Through social media, the Democratic Party and progressive politicians have been portrayed as a group that solely focuses on individualized issues that vary by politician. Schauer argues that the difference in opinion could be a tactic to better organize: “The diversity of voices and opinions within the Democratic Party is a strength.”

Rather than striving for a single, unified voice, progressives should embrace the ideas of multiple faces. The presence of different opinions and strategies is not a weakness; it is an opportunity for accommodation that creates an adaptable and strong group. 

By recognizing the power of having differences, progressives can focus on inclusivity and gather audiences of all types to come together under one umbrella. 

“I’m not going to agree with every voice,” Schauer says. “That would be impossible, but it’s sort of figuring out that sweet spot and how we can use the divergent voices, opinions, perspectives, life experiences to connect with voting blocs next election.’ 

As Schauer suggests, community-oriented campaigning will always be more effective than those purely based on contrast.

“I think it’s flipping the paradigm,” Schauer says. “And, instead of the assumption that we are a fractured nation and that we are all siloed off, it’s figuring out our commonality and having messengers that can.” 
 
The challenge is not to create one unified message but to create a movement where multiple distinct perspectives come together and collaborate to push for change in multiple ways. Diversity is a strength, no matter how many attempts are taken to reduce it. 

Braylon Youker


Braylon Youker is a sophomore at Kalamazoo Central High School and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center, both in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In his free time, Braylon enjoys working out, reading political fiction, playing guitar, and hanging out with his pets. 



Artist Statement written by mentor, Taylor Scamehorn, for youth artist collaboration:

Daniel Kibezi


This artwork is an equal collaboration between the Voices of Youth artists: Oliveira Ekumbaki, Jaden Davis, and Daniel Kibezi. To create a piece that represented ideological conflict between progressive students, each artist contributed a unique element. Oliveira introduced the symbol of a house to represent political groups: two small houses to represent opposing views, inside one big encompassing house of Progressivism. Jaden Davis pointed two of the houses at each other like arrows and added fire between them to emphasise the idea of conflict. Jaden DavisDaniel came up with the idea to use the icon of the Democratic Party: a donkey. The idea began as the donkey chasing its own tail, and resolved as two donkeys facing each other inside these houses/arrows. All three students chose the color blue to push the leftist symbolism.