Swamp Notes The Bethlehem Project: Being young in Trump’s America
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Dec 16, 2025 Ian Hodgson, a data reporter at the Financial Times, joins host Sonja Hutson to explore the complex landscape for teens in Trump’s America. They visit Liberty High School in Bethlehem to understand young people's experiences shaped by political polarization and economic anxiety. Discussions reveal how social media influences political identities and how shifting algorithms impact views. The episode also delves into gender divides in youth politics and students' concerns about jobs, climate change, and housing pressures.
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Visiting Liberty High School
- Sonia Hudson and Ian Hodgson visited Liberty High School in Bethlehem to interview four students about growing up under Trump.
- The students discussed polarization, social media influence, and economic anxiety as defining features of their teenage experience.
Podcasts Fuel Classroom Polarization
- Conservative podcasts and creators (e.g., Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk) have shaped some students' political views and classroom dynamics.
- Political conversations at school have grown tense and more binary, making open discussion harder.
Algorithms Shape Teen Political Feeds
- Students reported that social media algorithms amplify content they click on, reshaping feeds and political leanings.
- Teens mix entertainment and politics in the same feed, so political content becomes unavoidable and influential.