Can being a brat help win an election? Democratic candidate for President Kamala Harris’ use of social media will provide a clear answer come Nov. 5. Her social media presence known as Kamala HQ follows trends such as “brat.” Kamala and her social media team has a significant presence with her constantly trending videos using popular audios to reach a larger audience. While this may not seem like a notable feat, it is. In so many presidential candidates campaigns, the candidates have neglected the younger generation of voters. So many people feel as though presidential candidates are too old and out of touch to properly represent the country, and so many do nothing to correct this assumption. With one million followers on Instagram and 4.4 million on TikTok, Kamala HQ is an olive branch between Harris and the younger generation of voters.

Being a presidential candidate is all about balance. While it’s important to showcase the characteristics of a strong leader, it’s even more important to show that a candidate is human. Kamala HQ does a great job of creating a persona for Harris in which these two aspects of her character can be synonymous.

With so many having hectic lives, it’s not always possible to keep up with politics. Politicians having a social media page that is constantly putting out short video clips of some of their best moments, and even following trends that summarize everything one stands for, allows the public to scroll on social media for entertainment while simultaneously being influenced politically, sometimes without even realizing it.

Think about the copious amounts of things that have gotten popular due to them trending on social media. So many have gotten careers after trends using their music, or a dance being created to a song that they have made. Social media can not only change peoples lives and careers, but it can also change the election.

It’s said that you can tell how a debate is going by the looks on the debater’s faces. A social media presence is no different. Kamala HQ follows trends that showcase Kamala’s policies, highlights some of the things that Trump has said and debunks them and overall humanizes Kamala. On the other hand her opponent, Republican Donald Trump, does the opposite. Trump uses X, formerly known as Twitter, to vocalizes every one of his feelings, even at some point getting banned on the platform. On the app, he posts everything from outlandish accusations to hate messages towards people that don’t support him. Social media makes a lasting impression on so many voters and the way that it is used can be crucial to one’s public image, whether changing it for the better, or the worse.

With such a polarizing election, it is smart campaigning to get your message out to the world online, while being able to debunk your opponent to millions. You could visit all the states and speak to them about who you are and what you want accomplished, but simply by making a post you can reach people from all over the country and have such a large impact.

Harris’s campaign continues to paint her in the best possible light–a light that now millions can possibly see her in. She even has people call her Kamala instead of Harris, continuing to humanize herself and make that personal connection with voters who might not have felt that with a presidential candidate previously. This new generation of voters uses social media to express their voices and their opinions and Harris being a part of that is giving her an incredible advantage and one that is not talked about as much.

With social media really taking off in the past years, using it to its potential is crucial to reaching and influencing countless voters. It’s come time to stop ignoring an indispensable tool for widespread messaging. Kamala HQ has paved the way for many politicians to come.