After the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election were announced, a wave of strong reactions quickly began rippling through social media. Members of the younger generation, specifically women, have posted about anxieties over what their futures may look like under a second term for President-elect Donald Trump. In the wake of the election results, a wave of information—and misinformation—spread rapidly on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, amplifying many critics’ fears and making it difficult for people to separate fact from fiction in an environment where many appear hostile to facts.
One major emerging concern expressed by various communities is the development of Project 2025, a policy initiative written in 2022 by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation and 140 former Trump staffers.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union and reporting from Buzzfeed on Nov. 6, the 900-page “Mandate for Leadership” publication from Project 2025 calls for severe overhaul and reorganization of the entire federal government, along with hundreds of policy changes that include: removing ideas of diversity, equity and inclusion (known as “DEI”) from federal policy; investigating all abortions performed and building a federal database of information on women who have the procedure; ending birthright citizenship; cutting First Amendment protections on press and dissenting speech for journalists and protesters; eliminating the Department of Education and cutting school funding over academic discussions on race and gender; and removing laws protecting the rights of trans students and eliminating access to gender-affirming medical care for trans adolescents, currently required under federal law.
President-elect Trump publicly disavowed knowledge of the people and policies indicated in the Project 2025 agenda in the run up to the election. In a post on Truth Social on July 5, an online social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, Trump denied any connection to the initiative.
“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump wrote. “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
However, since Trump’s Electoral College victory, he has reached out to at least six people who are either contributors or chief architects of Project 2025 for potential Cabinet positions, along with CIA director and foreign ambassador posts, according to a Dec. 1 report from the Anchorage Daily News.
Social media has provided a platform for many who worry that upon Trump’s inauguration, these policy changes could reverse what they believe to be decades of progress. The worry has given rise to protests such as the 4B movement. This movement, best defined by CNN News, originated in South Korea and is women’s way of fighting for gender equality and the basic rights they believe are being denied. The basis of the 4B movement is the four Korean words bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae and bisekseu, which roughly translate to “no marriage, no childbirth, no dating and no sex with men.”
This movement appears to have traveled to America, where the internet has started to spread support for the 4B movement. However, an article written by PBS News on Nov. 9 has explained that the 4B movement is more than just striving to fix gender inequality. Women view it as a way of protesting for their bodily autonomy, even shaving their heads to appear less desirable to men.
As a result of the 4B movement, a TikTok trend has begun in which girls post videos sharing potential names for their future daughters that they no longer feel comfortable having due to the state of women’s rights. Supporters of the 4B movement stated that they are determined not to give in to the pressure to give birth in a society that they believe does not treat them equally. The collective effort among women to participate in the 4B movement could decrease America’s birth rates. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in a country where the birth rate is already shockingly low and the population is increased primarily by immigration, the 4B movement can be seen as a genuine threat if it persists.
Many people’s very real worries about the U.S.’s future are amplified by misinformation.
For example, multiple social media posts expressed despair over the supposed increase in suicide rates after the election. However, a Nov. 12 report from Reuters indicated no evidence of a link between Trump’s election victory and any rise in suicide estimates. Social media messages in the days after the election results that spread this misinformation were incorrectly attributed to the World Health Organization, which does not track daily suicide rates.
Posts exaggerating or misrepresenting proposed laws, such as those related to gender-affirming care or education policies, can spread quickly. While raising awareness of current events or potential problems is crucial, the tone of these posts often shifts toward fatalism, leaving young people feeling powerless.
This deep sense of loss and fear experienced by teens was reflected in Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession speech, where she addressed the nation’s divided emotions.
“While this is a difficult moment, I want to remind everyone that our fight is not over,” Harris said. “We must continue to stand up for what is right, for those who need us most. And for the women, for the youth, for every person who feels marginalized and unheard—your voice will always matter.”
The growing anxiety among women is undeniable, with many posting online that they will find it difficult to move forward. As public discourse around the election continues to unfold, a portion of the population has expressed that they feel the values they hold dear are being undermined or threatened.
Young voters have also expressed that the radical information they are seeing online has discouraged them from engaging in political discussions altogether. Social media platforms have been filled with claims about what the election results mean for the future, but without proper fact-checking, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which statements are reliable. With the rise of social media, everyone has a voice, but some people are using this privilege to provoke and instill fear in others.
Amid all the online noise, it’s crucial to address the reality of this election: Donald Trump will enter his second term alongside Republican Party majorities in both the Senate and the House. As the country looks ahead, some worry that the power shift will lead to policies that could disproportionately affect women and marginalized communities, while others are certain that the changes will bring about much-needed transformation in the nation’s leadership.
What is clear is that change is coming after this selection. Social media platforms will remain a key component of how news, opinions, activism and personal expression spread, but finding and highlighting the truth will require individual users to be careful about the truth and accuracy of what they share, especially as those who feel most vulnerable navigate a new political landscape.
