Here's a frightening statistic: More young women age 18 to 29 voted for Donald Trump in 2024 than in 2016 or 2020. Why? Jess Britvich argues that TikTok and Instagram have been moving some young women rightward, without making it obvious.

Trends like clean beauty, natural living, tradwife aesthetics, or even yoga and wellness communities might look harmless on the surface—but many of them are pipelines to right-wing politics. The former social worker and content creator Jess Britvich explains how social media pipelines—from “SkinnyTok” to "clean" beauty products—pull people into conspiracy thinking and reactionary movements, and how we can stem the tide by becoming more media literate.

Full transcript available here at relationscapes.org.

Show Notes

• Young women trended slightly up toward Trump in 2024 according to the Center for American Women in Politics, "Gender Differences in 2024 Vote Choice Are Similar to Most Recent Presidential Elections," December 28, 2024.
• But also, "Gen Z Women Have Most Unfavorable View of Donald Trump: Poll," Newsweek, Sept. 9, 2025.
• The National Alliance for Eating Disorders has a helpful overview of #skinnytok, "What’s the Deal with #SkinnyTok?"
• The Conspirituality podcast was ahead of the curve covering RFK, Jr., so they were more than prepared for the rise of MAHA. For a more recent overview, see episode 259: "MAHA is Project 2025’s Trojan Horse," May 29, 2025.
• See also the Diabolical Lies podcast, "MAHA Moms & the Politics of 'Wellness',” March 23, 2025.
• Brief overview of Charlie Kirk's greatest hits is available at "Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric inspired supporters, enraged foes," by Helen Coster and Maria Tsvetkova, Reuters.

Jess Britvich is a content creator in Pittsburgh. Formerly a social worker, she turned her attention to online education in the wake of the global pandemic and the rise of MAGA influencers. Her Substack is substack.com/@jessbritvich. Follow her on TikTok and Instagram @jessbritvich.