Are Zoomers Shifting Right? Reddit's Largest Gen Z Forum Plays Blame Game

Following Donald Trump 's victory on Election Day, Reddit 's Gen Z forum has experienced a surge in political discussions, raising questions about whether the platform—and some parts of Gen Z—are trending more conservative.

Some users on the GenZ subreddit, which has over 376,000 members, shared their views on the election outcome, revealing widespread disillusionment with both major parties and growing skepticism toward traditional narratives.

This sentiment became more pointed in the wake of a significant defeat for Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris . Some users criticized their fellow Gen Z members for failing to engage politically or for leaning conservative. Meanwhile, others attributed the Democrats' loss to an overemphasis on identity politics, with some users even defending conservative viewpoints.

In one widely discussed post, u/ArtemisJolt pushed back against the narrative that "Gen Z is more conservative than Millennials," calling it "annoying." "I think there's an actual issue," replied u/Appropriate_Fun10, earning more than 1,000 upvotes.

"Back in July, men were claiming in this sub that Trump was 'for men' and Harris was 'for women.' It seems so simplistic, but they are the ones saying it. At the exit polls, they also claimed that Dems didn't offer 'anything for men.'"

In the months before the election, pollsters had their eyes on young men, a demographic that appeared to be shifting toward Trump and away from the progressive leanings seen among young women. Key to Trump's appeal, some strategists believe, were his appearances on popular Gen Z-oriented podcasts and livestreams with influencers like Theo Von, Adin Ross, and the Nelk Boys.

This outreach seemed to resonate with young men, a group that exit polls show broke for Trump by a 13-point margin, marking the first rightward swing for this age group in four elections. In light of this shift, some Reddit users defended Gen Z men who supported Trump.

"Whenever white young men go online to find advice or assistance, there is a loud block who tells them to 'check their privilege' or that their suffering is their own fault, as though they're not allowed to suffer because other people are also suffering," wrote u/SlippySloppyToad in one thread.

Another user, u/zer0_n9ne, replied, "Honestly, from someone who leans left, we really do need more popular influencers whose focus is being a good male role model and giving advice to men."

Others on the subreddit blamed mainstream media for pushing more young people to the right by downplaying the issues that resonate with them. u/Lolzzlz posted, "The internet IS reality," suggesting that online spaces like Reddit reveal trends more accurately than traditional media does.

Meanwhile, u/tazahs10 echoed earlier points about male voter concerns, recalling that some young men felt Democrats offered "nothing for men," which many users felt was a factor in Trump's support among younger voters.

In response to the divisive rhetoric, the subreddit's moderators issued a strong statement condemning hateful posts. "Political posts of 'f*** you Gen Z,' 'Gen Z are conservative losers,' 'Gen Z love dictators,' are NOT welcome here and will result in a ban," they wrote. Acknowledging that recent comments had been "frankly horrifying," the moderators urged users to "uplift and learn from one another" rather than fuel generational hostility. They warned that vulgar, broad-stroke language targeting all of Gen Z would lead to permanent bans.