In today’s modern mass media, the influence of political figures, people of fame, and even TikTok influencers holds power in influencing people’s decision-making skills. This is known as the Two-Step Flow Theory (TSFT) – originally proposed by Katz and Lazarsfeld. The TSFT is a concept that suggests that mass media messages aren’t immediately taken in by the public but rather are filtered by opinionized leaders (MediaStudies.com). This dates back to even before digital media became about. Back in 1940, Lazarsfeld wanted to determine if minute details in the newspaper and radio could change the opinion of 2000 voters for an upcoming election. He ended up finding a more powerful reasoning for a change of belief, a casual conversation with friends, family, and other figures who seem to understand the politics more. No matter how many political campaign messages and propaganda that can be spread, nothing is as powerful as the word of mouth, especially from someone you care for and admire (Media Studies.com).
When thinking about this idea today, it’s expanded beyond any friend or family member. With TikTok becoming popular in 2019, it has heavily influenced the past 2 presidential elections with Gen Z as new voters. TikTok’s algorithm tracks every user’s activities, spotting what content they are interested in and continuously offering more and more. An opinion leader who has heavily influenced the United States’ 2025 Presidential election is the late Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. PBS NewsHour has highlighted that by directly connecting with younger voters on college campuses and social media platforms like TikTok. His debates with students have gone completely viral with millions of views. No matter what you agree with or not, his political ideology became personal and completely persuaded many young voters. Kirk showed that the Two-Step Flow Theory in digital media acted as a trusted voice for viewers, filtering the politics in mass media, and overall helped change many opinions in new voters.
Overall, the concept of the Two-Step Flow Theory hasn’t changed much. We still trust an influential person more than a political campaign. But when a person is able to connect with millions of people on a subject we all care about, it can be even more powerful than a casual conversation at the dinner table with your dad. These personal interactions and widespread media have and will continue to influence how people think and vote.
References:
News, P. (2025, September 11). How Charlie Kirk helped shape a conservative force for a new generation. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-charlie-kirk-helped-shape-a-conservative-force-for-a-new-generation
Media Studies. (2020, September 1). Two Step Flow Theory of Communication | Definition and Analysis. Media Studies. https://media-studies.com/two-step-flow/
I really agree with your point about how the Two-Step Flow Theory still applies today. TikTok, as a short-video platform, perfectly takes on the role between message senders and audiences. As you mentioned, it has a huge impact on Gen Z — not only shaping daily habits but also spreading and reinforcing the opinions of creators to achieve certain purposes. However, since most of its audience are young people whose values are still forming, it raises a concern about whether they can think critically about the information they receive. Maybe this is something we need to consider more — how to help young audiences develop a more balanced and reflective view toward the media they consume.–Jingyun